7 minute read
Technician Corner
Wester Drug in Muscatine, Iowa, has been a part of evolving pharmacy practice throughout its lifetime and has been especially active in COVID-19 immunization efforts. A key player in these efforts is Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), Vice President and co-owner, Michelle Garvin. As technicians evolve in their roles and become immunizers in a much-needed time, Garvin has been a resource for the pharmacy and for patients to enhance patient care.
Michelle Garvin began her pharmacy journey with her husband, Corey Garvin, PharmD, at a chain pharmacy in Ohio in 1998. Her background in mental health has had influence on her career as a technician and passions for evolving pharmacy practice. In addition to her involvement with IPA, Garvin is a member of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) and currently serves on the stakeholder advisory council.
Wester Drug is an independent pharmacy involved with IPA, NCPA and CPESN-IA, as well as an active participant in Flip the Pharmacy. In its involvement with CPESN and Flip the Pharmacy, Wester Drug places a focus on clinical-based services, including a clinical CPAP program, nutrition counseling, and professional consultation on vitamins and minerals.
The pharmacy has been administering immunizations for several years, but expanded immunization authority given to technicians during the COVID-19 pandemic allowed Garvin to become certified as a CPhT. She took full advantage of the opportunity to become an immunizer, and having an extra immunizer on site or at clinics was a major benefit for the pharmacy. This meant that more immunizations could be administered, and pharmacists could spend more time having meaningful discussions with patients. As a tenured technician, Garvin stated the certification process was smooth. However, more inexperienced technicians might take longer to digest the required coursework for certification. According to Garvin, the biggest impact the pharmacy has had on the community is giving people a sense of hope throughout the pandemic. While there are many discussions about a “new normal” or “when the pandemic is over,” immunizations give the community hope for an end to the craziness and anxiousness experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether it’s vaccinating frontline workers or a teacher who has been unable to enter a classroom for close to a year, giving hope matters.
Moving forward as a technician, Garvin hopes to receive Advanced Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT-Adv) certification. To be eligible, candidates must hold active PTCB CPhT Certification and complete the following: at least 3 years of work experience as a pharmacy technician within the past 8 years, and at least four PTCB Assessment-Based Certificate Programs, or three Certificate Programs and the Compounded Sterile Preparation Technician® (CPST®) Certification. Programs such as advanced certification are one way that Garvin sees the role of pharmacy technicians evolving.
As the role of pharmacy technicians evolves, Garvin emphasizes her views on provider status for pharmacists, an effort that has been central to IPA. As pharmacists become more involved in clinical roles, technicians can better support patient care. Technicians playing more active and expanded roles in clinical support and working with pharmacists on patient care creates more opportunities for meaningful interventions on the pharmacist’s side of care and gives more time for pharmacist-patient education.
Technicians have had significant roles in immunizing for COVID-19. Garvin is passionate about maintaining immunizer status for technicians in the coming flu season. Thank you, Michelle, for all of your hard work at the pharmacy and for the profession, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic! ■ Michelle Garvin, MA, CRC, CPhT
Pharmacy Technician Wester Drug
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HCAHPS: WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO HOSPITALS
From IPA’s February 2021 Tech Tidbits newsletter
The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey (HCAHPS) is a national survey that serves as a standard of hospital experiences for patients. It is a survey for both recipients and non-recipients of Medicare. Often referred to as “Star Ratings,” the HCAHPS survey helps to assess the patients’ view of their hospital care. This allows for hospitals to be compared to each other on a local, regional and national level. Hospitals work hard to receive a high score on these surveys because they receive reimbursements based on how satisfied the patients are with their time within the hospital. If they do not receive a certain score, they can also be penalized.
The role of all pharmacy professionals is key on making patients satisfied during their stay, especially as the pharmacy department play more significant roles with medication review and discharge counseling. In some hospitals, pharmacy technicians deliver the discharge medications to the patient in their room before they leave. Some hospitals also have video links where the pharmacist can counsel the patient via the web. Pharmacy staff have been shown to help improve medication-related scores while contributing to less hospital readmissions. The scores of the HCAHPS survey are important because the amount that hospitals are reimbursed is based on the score or rating that the hospital receives. Also, if a hospital does not have adequate scores, they may have a poor reputation. Essentially, if hospitals do not receive appropriate reimbursement and/or if they have a poor reputation, they may have less funding for the employees at the hospital. This could increase the likelihood of furloughs or layoffs. All positions are at risk including, but not limited to, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. It is the duty of everyone in the healthcare system, including pharmacy technicians, to ensure that patients are being properly cared for at the hospital and that they are satisfied with their experience.
SOURCES: 1. HCAHPS: Patients’ Perspectives of Care Survey. Center for Medicare & Medicaid
Services. https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/HospitalQualityInits/HospitalHCAHPS 2. Pharmacists Help Hospitals Improve Patient Satisfaction. Pharmacy Times. https:// www.pharmacytimes.com/news/Pharmacists-Help-Hospitals-Improve-Patient-Satisfaction-Scores 3. Survey says: Pharmacists Affect Patient Satisfaction. American Pharmacy Association. https://www.pharmacist.com/survey-says-pharmacists-affect-patient-satisfaction
BILLING FOR CHRONIC CARE MANAGEMENT
From IPA’s March 2021 Tech Tidbits newsletter
Medicare started reimbursing qualified providers for providing Chronic Care Management (CCM) services on January 1, 2015.
CCM services include five core activities: • Recording structured data in patient’s health record • Maintaining a comprehensive care plan for each patient • Providing 24/7 access to care • Comprehensive care management • Transitional care management
Eligible Medicare beneficiaries must have two or more chronic health conditions that are expected to last at least 12 months or until the death of the patient. These conditions must place the patient at significant risk of poor health outcomes.
Current payment for CCM is based on the amount of time spent providing the service to the patient on a monthly basis. Pharmacists are not eligible to bill the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) directly. However, pharmacists can form collaborative partnerships with Qualified Healthcare Professionals (QHPs) to coordinate CCM for a single patient on a monthly basis. Pharmacy technicians will continue to play a vital role in the billing and documentation processes of the pharmacist.
The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board currently offers a Billing and Reimbursement Certificate. In the $89 course, you will get access to the education and training program and the certification exam. This certificate program puts you one step closer to becoming an Advanced CPhT. It is important to stay ahead of the changing pharmacy landscape. The PTCB is a great source of resources that will help you practice at the top of your technician license. APhA and ASHP have additional resources on CCM within their websites.
SOURCES: 1. Pharmacist Billing/Coding Quick Reference Sheet For Services Provided in
Physician-Based Clinics, ASHP, https://www.ashp.org/-/media/assets/pharmacy-practice/resource-centers/ambulatory-care/billing-quick-reference-sheet.ashx?la=en&hash=8074CF55F7B84C0741CD0E73A64F47CB22CFF4AE 2. Chronic Care Management (CCM): An Overview for Pharmacists, https://www.pharmacist.com/sites/default/files/CCM-An-Overview-for-Pharmacists-FINAL.pdf 3. Billing and Reimbursement Certificate PTCB, https://www.ptcb.org/credentials/ billing-and-reimbursement-certificate#:~:text=To%20be%20eligible%2C%20you%20 must,to%20pharmacy%20billing%20and%20reimbursement
NEWLY CERTIFIED IOWA TECHNICIANS
JANUARY 1, 2021 – MARCH 31, 2021
Congratulations to the following pharmacy technicians on becoming PTCB-certified!
Jerrica Anderson Gideon Asare Nadia Bahnsen Justine Baker Carly Baker Emma Brightwell Hue Bui Jessica Burge Drew Engebretson Hunter French Paul Gilbaugh Saleena Gooch Andrea Hanse Caitlin Heine Samantha Hill Kianne Holland-Hoffert Amanda Hussman Kirk Jackman Amy Jeglum Hadzira Jukic Renee Kautz Mallory Keech Tracy Kielman Morgan Knoup Kathryn Knutsen Aubrey Kooima Anika Mantel Gillian Marbury Karli Michael Kimberly Miller
Lindsay Mulder Samantha Nissen Jessica OKeeffe Cynthia Pellegrini Jenna Peterson Levi Rowe Cynthia Sanchez Armin Sarajlija Christina Schell Shyanne Schnitzler Sydney Sears Lauryn Sheriff Mallory Sherrard Madelynn Slade Ashley Snyder
Ellen Sullivan Timothy Terranova Stephanie Thorne Dat Tran Jason Wacht Taylor Wagner Leah Watson Kailee Wells Joseph Willson
