Implementation of comprehensive medication management at supermarket pharmacies in a pharmacy network

Objective: To garner experience with the early implementation of pharmacist-provided comprehensive medication management at a regional supermarket pharmacy during the initial launch of a statewide community pharmacy enhanced services network payer contract.

Methods: A series of key informant interviews were conducted with pharmacists at Giant Eagle Pharmacy locations in Pennsylvania. To be eligible to participate, pharmacists must have been trained by the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Care Network to deliver contracted comprehensive medication management services and willing to participate in audio recorded, telephonic interviews every 2 weeks. Interviews concluded when each pharmacist completed a total of 6 interviews or when the project period ended. A semistructured interview guide was developed by the investigators to elicit the pharmacists' experience providing contracted services. Interviews were transcribed and coded by 2 independent investigators. Coding discrepancies were resolved. The final coded transcripts were presented back to the project team to identify and finalize major themes. Illustrative quotes were selected to represent each theme.

Results: Interviews from 10 pharmacists were included in the analysis. Five themes emerged as keys of successful early implementation: (1) promote commitment of the pharmacy team, (2) use effective whole-team patient engagement strategies, (3) personalize patient encounters by providing patient-centered care and practicing interpersonal skills, (4) make workflow and staffing resources easily accessible, and (5) make clinical patient care tools readily available.

Conclusion: These results highlight thematic trends for how pharmacists can successfully engage their patients in contracted comprehensive medication management services. Understanding the success of early implementation at a regional supermarket pharmacy can serve as a framework for other participants in community pharmacy enhanced services networks to replicate and scale contracted patient care services.