The Western North Carolina VA Health Care System’s primary care clinical pharmacy program has earned the Clinical Pharmacy PACT Platinum Practice Designation, a national recognition for excellence in primary care pharmacy services.

The designation recognizes VA programs that integrate clinical pharmacists into Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACTs), where pharmacists work alongside doctors, nurses and other health care professionals to help Veterans manage their medications and overall health.

The health care system earned the designation after a three-round evaluation that included surveys, data review and an interview with facility leaders and staff.

The evaluation considers individualized performance measures for clinical pharmacist practitioners (CPPs), including the time they spend providing direct patient care and whether their services meet national practice policies and standards.

Dr. Eric Gibbs, Pharm.D., associate chief for clinical pharmacy, and the team spent close to a year preparing for the evaluation, which highlighted how staff across the health care system work together to care for Veterans.

“I could not be more proud of our Primary Care PACT Teams. The clinical pharmacists have worked hard to expand care and provide additional collaborative support for their PACT Teams both at the main campus and at all three Community Based Outpatient Clinics,” said Gibbs. “We could not be here without the great collaboration the clinical pharmacists have with their teams of providers, nurses, and support staff. The result is the best care for Veterans. That is what it is all about.”

VA’s Clinical Pharmacy Practice Office and Office of Primary Care commended facility leadership and primary care staff for integrating clinical pharmacy and comprehensive medication management into Veteran care. The offices called the facility a “shining example of what team-based care can do to improve Veteran access and quality of care.”

Patient Aligned Care Teams bring health care professionals together to coordinate care around each Veteran’s needs and health goals.

Chief of Pharmacy Dr. Brian Peek, Pharm.D., said the designation reflects the high performance of the team.

“Having this designation means the pharmacist providers in PACT achieve consistent and high productivity measures,” said Peek.

Pharmacy leaders say the recognition reflects a team effort focused on improving service and outcomes for Veterans. So far Asheville is the only station to achieve Platinum that operates under a mixed reporting structure.

Source: Western North Carolina VA Health Care System.