CPF FUNDED GRANT DETAILS

Texas Hypertension Adherence Program THAP is a health care quality improvement initiative focused on the development and implementation of a high-quality community pharmacist network that integrates pharmacist provided enhanced patient care services with other providers, health systems, and accountable care organizations ACOs within Texas. The goal of this high-performance community pharmacist network is to optimize patient health outcomes through appropriate medication management and utilization of health care resources. THAP develops and implements new community-based health care provider linkages that include support resources and a strong business infrastructure. A community-based pharmacist network a virtual network of otherwise unaffiliated pharmacies - provides structured services across many pharmacy employers designed to improve blood pressure control for high-risk patients through medication adherence counseling. This network gives any participating pharmacist the ability to submit claims and receive payment through an open system.A practice model was established whereby physicians can refer patients with uncontrolled hypertension to a network of local community-based pharmacists. These pharmacists would review and assess a patients medication regimen, identify potential or actual drug therapy problems, develop a medication action plan, emphasize the importance of medication adherence and provide recommendations to the patient andor physician to help optimize medication therapy outcomes.Grant funds will be used to pay pharmacists for their services during the implementation phase. Thereafter, pharmacist fees and network administrative costs will be funded by revenues from service agreements. Pharmacist payment structures will include a combination of Fee-For-Service and Fee For Value. Fee-for-service is for basic cost of labor based on estimated time minutes to provide professional services while Fee-for-value payment is an incentive payment that will only be paid if the patient reaches hypertension goal. During the development phase of the project TPA will provide services including Creation of a work-group comprised of Texas Colleges of Pharmacy to create standardized care protocols, work flows and guidelines, focusing initially on two areas 1 Adherence and 2 Hospital discharge medication reconciliation. Develop and distribute web-based training for pharmacists covering network practice guidelines and protocols. Development of technology in conjunction with various partners including 1 app download to connect pharmacists with patients, 2 development of a Web-based case notification and patient referral system and 3 development of a platform for claims submission and payment. Provide legal support for the development of pharmacist network provider agreements, vendor partnerships and client service agreements. Development of state level policy and regulatory actions to support pharmacist patient care services. Provide marketing and sales support of the pharmacist network to various payers.