Virtual Care & Telemedicine
Fellowship Learning Experience
This rotation would focus on the intersection of pharmacy practice with virtual care and telemedicine. The Fellow would work with virtual care platforms, collaborate with healthcare teams in virtual settings, and learn to provide medication-related services remotely. They would understand the role of pharmacists in virtual care, adapt to telemedicine workflows, and navigate legal and ethical considerations. They will design future telemedicine and telepharmacy applications of software solutions.
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Introduction: The Virtual Care and Telemedicine rotation is designed to provide pharmacists with specialized training in delivering medication-related services remotely and leveraging telehealth technologies to improve patient access and outcomes. This rotation explores the intersection of pharmacy practice with virtual care delivery models and telemedicine platforms.
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Foundations of Telehealth: Fellows will begin by exploring the foundational concepts of telehealth, including the history, evolution, and regulatory landscape of telemedicine. They will gain an understanding of telehealth modalities, such as synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous (store-and-forward) communication, remote monitoring, and mobile health applications. Fellows will also learn about reimbursement policies, licensure requirements, and legal considerations related to telemedicine practice.
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Telepharmacy Workflows and Practices: In this aspect, fellows will delve into telepharmacy workflows and practices, focusing on the delivery of pharmacy services through remote channels. They will learn how to conduct virtual medication reviews, medication therapy management (MTM) sessions, and medication counseling sessions via telehealth platforms. Fellows will gain skills in utilizing telepharmacy software, secure messaging systems, and video conferencing tools to facilitate patient-pharmacist interactions.
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Medication Reconciliation and Remote Medication Management: Fellows will explore the role of telemedicine in medication reconciliation and remote medication management. They will learn how to conduct virtual medication reconciliation interviews, obtain medication histories, and identify medication discrepancies using telehealth platforms. Fellows will gain insights into strategies for optimizing medication therapy remotely, promoting medication adherence, and addressing medication-related issues through telemedicine encounters.
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Telepharmacy in Specialty Care: This aspect of the rotation will focus on the application of telepharmacy in specialty pharmacy practice areas, such as oncology, infectious diseases, and chronic disease management. Fellows will learn about the unique telepharmacy needs of specialty pharmacies, including medication access challenges, patient education requirements, and adherence monitoring strategies. They will explore telepharmacy interventions aimed at optimizing specialty medication therapy and improving patient outcomes.
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Remote Medication Adherence Support: Fellows will explore innovative telepharmacy solutions for supporting medication adherence and patient self-management. They will learn about medication adherence technologies, such as medication reminder apps, smart pill dispensers, and wearable devices, and how these tools can be integrated into telehealth platforms to promote adherence. Fellows will gain skills in assessing patient adherence barriers, developing adherence support plans, and leveraging telepharmacy interventions to enhance medication adherence.
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Legal and Ethical Considerations in Telepharmacy: This rotation will cover the legal and ethical considerations specific to telepharmacy practice. Fellows will explore issues such as patient privacy, informed consent for telehealth services, and regulatory compliance with telemedicine laws and standards. They will gain an understanding of the importance of maintaining confidentiality, security, and professionalism in telepharmacy interactions, as well as strategies for addressing ethical dilemmas in remote medication management.
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Telemedicine Integration in Pharmacy Practice: Fellows will examine strategies for integrating telemedicine into various pharmacy practice settings, including community pharmacies, ambulatory care clinics, and specialty pharmacies. They will learn about collaborative practice agreements, telepharmacy protocols, and interdisciplinary care team collaboration models that support the delivery of telemedicine services by pharmacists. Fellows will explore opportunities for expanding pharmacy services through telehealth initiatives and enhancing patient access to pharmacy care.
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Conclusion: The Virtual Care and Telemedicine rotation equips fellows with the knowledge and skills to effectively leverage telehealth technologies in pharmacy practice. By focusing on telepharmacy workflows, remote medication management, specialty telepharmacy, medication adherence support, legal and ethical considerations, and telemedicine integration, fellows will be prepared to play a pivotal role in delivering virtual pharmacy services, expanding patient access to care, and improving medication-related outcomes through telehealth initiatives.
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