Stepwise approach to implementing ambulatory clinical pharmacy services

PURPOSE: A methodological approach was developed to facilitate expansion of clinical pharmacist-managed anticoagulation services across an integrated health care delivery network. METHODS: A stepwise approach to the development and implementation of ambulatory care clinical pharmacy services was used to facilitate expansion of pharmacist-managed anticoagulation clinics in a university hospital setting and a community hospital within the same health network. RESULTS: The Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati successfully created a care delivery model using clinical pharmacists to provide comprehensive anticoagulation management services at a university hospital and a community hospital. The incidence of thromboembolic events was significantly lower in the pharmacy anticoagulation service patients versus the patients in the usual care setting (p=0.005). A statistically significant decrease in minor bleeding events was observed in the pharmacist-managed group (p=0.038). Although a decrease in major bleeding events was observed, it was not statistically significant (p=0.075). International Normalized Ratio values of the patients managed by the pharmacy anticoagulation clinics were within the therapeutic range approximately 75% of the time. CONCLUSION: A stepwise approach to the development and implementation of ambulatory care clinical pharmacy services has facilitated the expansion of pharmacist-managed anticoagulation clinics across an integrated health system. This may serve as a valuable template for other systems as they strive to develop medication therapy management services.