Dunn, Paladino awarded grant to study pharmacy practice model advances

The funded project, titled Evaluation of Health Outcomes Associated with a Pharmacist’s Telephone Intervention in Transitions of Care in an Underserved Population, evaluates the effect of pharmacist intervention on unexpected hospital utilization.

Terry Dunn, clinical assistant professor, pharmacy practice, is new investigator on the study. Joseph Paladino, clinical professor, pharmacy practice, and director, clinical outcomes and pharmacoeconomics, is senior investigator on the study. Pharmacy practice faculty members Kalpesh Desai, PharmD, David Jacobs, PharmD, and Michael Krajewski, PharmD, MLS, are also investigators on the study.

“Telephone intervention allows pharmacists to reach patients irrespective of their locations. This is particularly important for patients in underserved areas,” said Dunn. “The benefit of this type of intervention has not been fully elucidated; our study attempts to show the benefit that can be expected when a pharmacist has an active role in the transition of patient care from the hospital to home.”

Dunn hopes this study will help clarify issues like this for patients and improve outcomes by decreasing unexpected hospital utilization within 30 days after discharge. The project is consistent with summit recommendations that pharmacists develop sustainable models for transitions across the continuum of care.

The ASHP Foundation New Investigator Research Grant Program gives new investigators an incentive and a mechanism to develop and evaluate innovative practice models that could potentially expand pharmacist contributions to patient care.