title: Incorporating a pharmacist into an interprofessional team providing transgender care under a medical home model.
abstract: A pharmacist's role in providing care to transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) patients within a medical home model of care is described.
  
  
  
  A comprehensive transgender services clinic was established in February 2015 in New Mexico. Clinic services are provided under an "informed consent" model of care, as opposed to the traditional "gatekeeper" approach. The clinic's interprofessional team consists of a clinical pharmacist, a psychiatrist, a nurse practitioner, an endocrinologist, a diabetes educator, a massage therapist, a nurse, a nutritionist, and medical assistants. The clinical pharmacist has served in the following roles: (1) assessing health literacy and tailoring the consent process to the patient's literacy level, (2) initiating in-depth discussion of the medical risks and benefits of cross-sex hormone therapy (HT), as well as HT alternatives, (3) discussing typical timelines for physical outcomes of HT, (4) discussing a patient's expectations and goals for csHT, (5) discussing the different HT formulations and helping to determine which formulation is best suited to meeting patient's goals, (6) helping the team obtain prior authorizations for csHT, and (7) managing risk reduction strategies such as smoking cessation and weight loss. Involvement of a pharmacist in the clinic has improved care access and quality for TGNC patients in the southwestern United States.
  
  
  
  A pharmacist in an interprofessional team staffing a clinic for TGNC people has assumed multiple responsibilities and helped improve patient care.
authors.affiliation: University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, Albuquerque, NM.
authors.forename: Cheyenne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Newsome
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM.
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Colip
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM.
authors.forename: Nathaniel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sharon
authors.affiliation: University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, Albuquerque, NM. jeconklin@salud.unm.edu.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Conklin
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D057220:Health Literacy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006728:Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D008297:Male; D009516:New Mexico; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D010593:Pharmaceutical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000458:organization & administration*; D024382:Professional Role; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D063106:Transgender Persons
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones
keywords: gender dysphoria; gender identity; patient care team; pharmaceutical services; pharmacists; transgender persons