Page 33 - 2017 V1 InsideOut

Advancing
the Health
of Healthcare Pharmacists influence rates, processes
Expanding the roles and responsibilities of health system pharmacists are proving bene cial to patient outcomes. Pharmacists involved in medication reconciliation—from pharmacy techni- cians positioned in emergency depart- ments to clinical pharmacists partici- pating in transitional care—decrease adverse events and readmission rates. Centralized pharmacy-led preautho- rization processes have expedited patient access to life-sustaining medi- cations, while pharmacists involved in standardized concentration initiatives aim to protect more patients.
In addition to improving patient out- comes, pharmacists are generating
and standards for improved patient health
positive results for the nancial health of healthcare by impacting quality out- comes and performance metrics used to determine reimbursement rates. Healthcare facilities and providers also face increasing penalties for substan- dard care. For example, the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP), which nancially penalizes hospitals with relatively higher rates of Medicare bene ciary readmissions,
is forecasted to penalize hospitals $528 million for readmissions in 2017, or $108 million above 2016 penalty levels. Experts believe the increase will be due to additional medical con- ditions being measured.1
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