Pharmacy Benefits Management Services
Clinical Pharmacy Practice Office Resources and Tools
As of September 30, 2023, VHA employs 11,337 clinical pharmacists, of which 5,964 (52.6%) serve as Clinical Pharmacist Practitioners (CPP) possessing a scope of practice which includes medication prescriptive authority serving as direct care provider. The role of the CPP has grown as a core interprofessional team member that improves access and quality through the provision of comprehensive medication management (CMM) services. The CPP, as the medication expert, supports teams as an additional healthcare practitioner to provide medication optimization services in disease state management, with a particular emphasis in high-risk populations. Expansion of CPP roles, in new and existing areas, has resulted in improved system-wide patient access to care. In the ambulatory care setting, this is often achieved by shifting appointments from primary care and specialty care providers to the CPP, thereby increasing access and at a lower cost. This team-based care approach has proven to be particularly valuable in areas where it has been difficult to hire physician providers.
PBM CPPO creates tools and resource documents to support clinical pharmacy practice expansion and optimization across the continuum of care. Topics identified and developed undergo extensive review by subject matter experts, identified topic aligned committees, and PBM Program Managers.
