A six-month project that used pharmacists instead of general practitioners and nurses to manage patient use of a blood-thinning drug resulted in good patient outcomes, high patient and provider satisfaction, and the potential for cost-savings. The program, which was overseen by the Health Workforce New Zealand and the New Zealand Pharmaceutical Society, trained pharmacists to manage patients. The project was then evaluated by the University of Auckland, which recommended that the pharmacy management model be rolled out across the country for patients on the blood-thinning drug.
According to the evaluation, anticoagulant control blood tests improved among those patients who participated in the project. In addition, it found that pharmacists were open to the opportunity to better use their skills, and that general practitioners and nurses reported that the pharmacy management program saved an average of 5 hours per week in their practices. The evaluation report concluded that conducting blood testing for the drug in pharmacies would save an estimated NZ$10 million annually.
Sources:
http://beehive.govt.nz/release/new-pharmacist-role-benefits-patients