Luke Klinehoffer, PharmD, RPh
CPESN Ohio Resident at Ohio Northern University and Jackson Pharmacy & Wellness Center
Before starting my residency, I had no idea what Flip the Pharmacy was. I had a general idea of what CPESN was, but that was just because it was in the title of the residency. Through pharmacy school, I worked at an independent pharmacy, but I didn’t see much of the clinical side of community pharmacy. I considered myself to be self-sufficient in the community setting, in terms of figuring out insurances, how to solve some basic problems and doing all of my intern duties while being pressured by patients who were short on time. For me, FtP has already changed what a community pharmacy looks like just two months into the year.
My introduction to CPESN Ohio and FtP was a leadership meeting the week before my residency started. It was that morning that I began to really understand what this was all about. We were discussing meetings with different payers, cohorts for FtP, and things that I would be able to help with during my year with CPESN. I felt like I stepped into a completely different world. It was eye opening to see all the work put into one common objective: providing more comprehensive patient care.
My entire experience so far has been trying to “break the mold” of community pharmacy, to focus on patients and not metrics. Even during my first week in the pharmacies, I felt like I was making an impact on the patients. I’ve quickly learned what community pharmacy should be. Focused on patient care, and empowering your patients with knowledge of their healthcare. I am super excited to spend this year helping make these changes possible for pharmacies across the state of Ohio!