Effectiveness of a pharmacist-physician collaborative program to manage influenza-like illness

Objectives: To examine the effectiveness of collaborative physician-community pharmacist programs to treat influenza-like illness (ILI) with respect to clinical outcomes and health care utilization.

Design: Prospective multicenter cohort study.

Setting: Fifty-five pharmacies in Michigan, Minnesota, and Nebraska.

Patients: Adult patients presenting to the pharmacy with ILI during the 2013-14 influenza season (October 1, 2013 to May 30, 2014).

Intervention: Pharmacists screened adult patients presenting with ILI, completed a brief physical assessment, performed a point-of-care rapid influenza diagnostic test (RIDT), and provided appropriate referral or treatment per an established collaborative practice agreement (CPA) with a licensed prescriber. Pharmacists followed-up with patients 24 to 48 hours after the encounter to assess patient status and possible need for further intervention.

Main outcome measures: Number of patients screened, tested, and treated for influenza.

Results: Of the 121 patients screened, 45 (37%) were excluded and referred to their primary care provider or an urgent care facility for management. Of the 75 patients (62%) eligible for participation, 8 (11%) had a positive RIDT and were managed according to the CPA. Of the patients tested, 34.6% had no primary care physician and 38.7% visited the pharmacy outside of normal office hours. Only 3% of patients reported feeling worse at follow-up.

Conclusion: This study describes a physician-pharmacist collaborative model for treating ILI. Using an evidence-based CPA, pharmacists were able to provide timely treatment to patients with and without influenza.