The UH Health Family Care Center is expanding its care model with a new clinical pharmacy service in partnership with the Texas Southern University College of Pharmacy.
The service adds pharmacy expertise to the Family Care Center鈥檚 existing primary care
team, giving patients another resource for managing medications and chronic health
conditions. The Family Care Center provides primary care, outpatient mental health,
women鈥檚 health, pediatrics, endocrinology and telehealth services to patients in the
surrounding community.
For Neena Arora, M.H.A./M.B.A., CEO of the UH Health Family Care Center, the addition of clinical pharmacy brings specialized medication knowledge into a setting where providers care for patients with a range of ongoing health needs.
鈥淗aving a clinical pharmacy in a multi-provider setting such as ours is of great value to enhance management of chronic disease by optimizing therapeutic choices and reaching improvement in clinical outcome,鈥� Arora said. 鈥淚t is an added medication expertise the whole team draws on.鈥�
The service will focus on helping patients manage conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, obesity and high cholesterol. Clinical pharmacists also will review medication regimens, address potential medication-related issues and help patients navigate barriers to obtaining and taking their medications.
Adlia Ebeid, Pharm.D, BC-ADM, RPh, assistant clinical professor at TSU, will work with Family Care Center providers to support patients through medication management and chronic disease care.
鈥淐linical pharmacists, residents and students will complement the physician role and work to empower self care, provide disease education, eliminate barriers, and improve clinical outcomes,鈥� Ebeid said.
Patients who work with the clinical pharmacy team will have opportunities to discuss their medications in individual consultations. These visits can help identify concerns related to adherence, access, cost and other factors that may affect a patient's ability to follow a treatment plan.
鈥淧atients will receive one-on-one consultations that focus on their medication and medication related issues,鈥� Ebeid said. 鈥淭his allows patients time to understand their regimen and identify/disclose barriers, so we can create a personalized action plan for adherence, self care, motivation and ultimately avoid disease related adverse issues while improving clinical outcomes.鈥�
Diana Grair, M.D., chief medical officer of the Family Care Center, said the service will provide additional support for both patients and the broader care team as the clinic continues to develop its integrated approach to care.
鈥淭he new clinical pharmacy service will allow the Family Care Center to enhance their integrated care model and embed clinical pharmacists, residents and 4th year interns into the primary care team, creating a robust and continuous patient care experience,鈥� Grair said.
The partnership with TSU also connects the Family Care Center with a neighboring institution in Third Ward. Arora said the two institutions share a commitment to the communities they serve, making the College of Pharmacy a natural partner for the service.
鈥淭SU is our neighbor in Third Ward, and it shares our commitment to the communities we serve,鈥� Arora said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 College of Pharmacy has a long history of training pharmacists who understand the health needs of underserved populations, and many of its students and faculty come from and care deeply about the same neighborhoods our patients call home.鈥�
In addition to supporting patient care, the partnership provides pharmacy students and faculty with experience in a community health setting. Students will have the opportunity to learn alongside other healthcare professionals and see how pharmacists contribute to coordinated patient care.
鈥淧artnering with TSU College of Pharmacy strengthens a medical-school-affiliated clinic in two overlapping ways: it embeds pharmacy expertise and learners who directly improve patient care and offload providers, and it creates interprofessional education that improves how physicians and pharmacists work together long-term,鈥� Arora said.
The new service is also intended to support patients over time as they work toward better management of chronic conditions. Arora said she is particularly interested in seeing how the service affects patients' confidence and health outcomes.
鈥淚鈥檓 most excited about the impact we鈥檒l see in our patients鈥� health over time: better-controlled chronic conditions, fewer medication issues, and patients who feel more confident managing their own care,鈥� Arora said.
Ebeid said the partnership can also introduce pharmacy students to community care as a potential career path.
鈥淲hen pharmacy students train in health centers, some of them will choose to build careers serving communities like ours, and that鈥檚 how we create lasting change in access to care,鈥� Arora said.