Currently, I am a first year (P1) pharmacy student at Palm Beach Atlantic University’s Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy in West Palm Beach, Florida. Before starting my first Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) rotation, I had no idea what to expect. I had some experience in a chain pharmacy, so I had a general understanding of community pharmacy operations.
Learning that my first rotation would be at Progress Pharmacy, a pharmacy that is part of Community Pharmacy Enhanced Service Network (CPESN) Florida, was thrilling news. A lecture I had on CPESN and Flip the Pharmacy (FtP) during my spring semester was difficult to comprehend without first-hand experience. Having my community IPPE rotation at Progress Pharmacy has truly helped me understand what it means to be a CPESN pharmacy and how they excel by going the extra mile for their patients.
My Perspective
Gaining experience at a CPESN pharmacy early in my pharmacy career has been eye-opening. Unlike chain pharmacies, Progress Pharmacy’s patient volume allowed me to focus on tasks I hadn’t previously done rather than rushing to fill prescriptions. I participated in point-of-care testing with a clinical pharmacist, collecting blood via fingerstick, testing for HbA1c and lipid levels, and interpreting the results. I also participated in non-sterile compounding of various prescriptions such as capsules, troches, creams, and shampoos. Additionally, I performed a pack-stat for capsules to measure powder density.
Visiting other CPESN Pharmacies
During my short four weeks at Progress Pharmacy, I was fortunate to visit three other CPESN Florida pharmacies: Atlantis Pharmacy (Atlantis, FL), Prescription Shop of Stuart (Stuart, FL), Bay Street Pharmacy (Sebastian, FL). From these visits I was able to identify their key areas of focus. Atlantis concentrated on looking at a patient’s overall health and not just filling their prescriptions. They were motivated to enroll patients into their medication synchronization (MedSync) program, where the pharmacists review all their prescriptions monthly and ensure the patient can pick up all their prescriptions at the same time. Atlantis also participates in a shared protocol agreement with a local physician to perform International Normalized Ratio (INR) monitoring and adjusting for patients on warfarin. The Prescription Shop filled a large portion of scripts for hospice and was very involved with the enhanced services of CPESN, including electronic care (eCare) plans, adherence packaging and comprehensive medication reviews (CMR). They are focused on bridging the gap between pharmacy and mental health. They have a counseling room that is welcoming and stress free for patients to go in and talk with a certified counselor. Bay Street had an abundance of foot traffic in the short time I was there. Their pharmacists count and verify drugs while the technicians focus on data entry including eCare plans. They are accredited to provide Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSME) classes to help educate patients with diabetes on how to control their disease.
Conclusion
This IPPE rotation has been such a rewarding experience and far more than what I ever could have asked for. It helped me understand what a CPESN pharmacy is and allowed me to learn valuable skills from very knowledgeable individuals. Although I hadn’t considered community pharmacy before, my experience here at Progress Pharmacy has made me consider joining a CPESN independent pharmacy team in the future.
Written by:
Amber Haynes
Student Pharmacist | Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy | Palm Beach Atlantic University
Preceptor:
Jessica B. Finke, PharmD
Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Director of PGY-1 Community-based Pharmacy Residency Program
Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy | Palm Beach Atlantic University
Acknowledgements:
Thank you to the pharmacy teams and owners for your time and effort of empowering the next generation of pharmacists.
Pharmacies: Atlantis Pharmacy (Atlantis, FL); Bay Street Pharmacy (Sebastien, FL); Prescription Shop of Stuart (Stuart, FL); Progress Pharmacy (West Palm Beach, FL).
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