Research Projects Page

This quality improvement project assessed implementation of a letter template to expedite appeal letter submission. Pre-implementation, 29% of appeals were submitted within 3 days of PA denial, 70% within 7 days, 88% within 14 days, and 100% within 35 days. Postimplementation 89% of appeals were submitted within 3 days, 97% within 7 days, and 100% within 14 days. Appeal approval rates were high at 93% in both the pre-implementation and postimplementation groups.

This study describes differences in asthma-related clinical outcomes by race in patients initiating biologic therapy. There was a difference in clinic engagement between groups based on race. Cancellations were higher in patients that identify as White, and no shows were higher in patients that identify as Black or African American/Other. Identifying barriers that lead to reduced clinical engagement may allow for improved health in these patients.

This study evaluates health-system specialty pharmacy (HSSP) pharmacists' roles in medication discontinuations, switches, and dose changes, focusing on cost avoidance. HSSP pharmacists intervene to ensure safe and effective use of specialty medications, preventing unnecessary costs. Pharmacists successfully avoided $129,705 - $162,133 in direct costs through their interventions. These findings support the employment and role of pharmacists in HSSPs, extending beyond prescription filling.

The purpose of the project is to redesign and align the specialty pharmacy Pharmacist Intervention (PI) Assessment with pharmacy organizations, published literature, and pharmacist feedback, allowing detailed documentation that clearly communicates the reason for and outcome of the pharmacist intervention. Key lessons learned are featured to outline steps for replicating the project in other health systems.