Pharmacy students at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) in Lubbock are now learning about telemedicine as a tool to deliver pharmacy services to a rural community. Third- and fourth-year students on the TTUHSC Lubbock campus spend a week during their rural rotation working with the telepharmacy system that links the TTUHSC Southwest Clinic pharmacy, the isolated community of Turkey, Texas, and Dr. Sid Ontai of Plainview, Texas.
In addition to providing needed pharmacy services in Turkey and nearby Quitaque, where residents have to drive an hour each way to the nearest pharmacy, the new telepharmacy project also enhances the education of pharmacy students. TTUHSC School of Pharmacy is the only pharmacy school in the state-and one of only two pharmacy schools in the nation-that requires students complete a Rural Clerkship in its Doctor of Pharmacy Program. Students complete six hours of didactic training prior to the rotation, where they learn the basics of telemedicine and telepharmacy.
"Students review various operating models that utilize telemedicine technology, such as primary to specialty care, low and mid-level provider to primary and specialty care, correctional and geriatric care," says Chuck Seifert, PharmD, regional dean for the TTUHSC School of Pharmacy in Lubbock. The classroom session also covers: 1) the technology issues of remote dispensing of medications, digitizing information and bandwidth requirements; and 2) practical issues of accessibility, quality of transmission, ability to make diagnoses, outcomes, and patient satisfaction.
During the week-long, hands-on telepharmacy experience, students spend one day observing the physician in Plainview, two days in Turkey and Quitaque observing the emergency medical technician delivering health care services under the direction of the Plainview physician, and one day working with the central pharmacist in Lubbock who receives prescription orders, performs validation activities, approves label generation at the remote site and counsels patients by videoconference.
"I really had a chance to see the telemedicine patient care process from all sides- doctor, patient, and pharmacist-and to see what is required on each end to make telepharmacy work," says Kris Zepeda, a 4th year pharmacy student from Seagraves, Texas. Suzanne Thompson, another 4th year pharmacy student from Seminole, Texas, says that the housecall experience she had in Turkey was unique and educational.
"For patients that were unable to leave their homes, we would deliver their medicines to them and do patient education in the home. On one of my days, a lady called in with an upset stomach. The doctor wasn't available to write a prescription, but we went to Allsup's and took her some Gatorade and pepto. I couldn't help think about when my grandparents lived in a small town. This would have been a great service for them," Thompson adds. One aspect that students really enjoy is the small-town atmosphere.
"The clinic in Turkey is in the same building as the Bob Wills' Museum-he's the Founder of Texas Swing. And patients come in to get their medications and stay and chat awhile,"
Zepeda says.
Both Thompson and Zepeda graduate in May 2004 and both have plans to return to their rural roots to practice pharmacy. Thompson will stay in Seminole, where she and her family have lived for 15 years, and work in a retail pharmacy. Zepeda plans to go into partnership at Nelson
Pharmacy in Brownfield, Texas. Both can foresee telepharmacy providing a needed service to isolated rural populations.
The telepharmacy project by Texas Tech-the first in Texas-was launched in September 2002. Since that time 26 students from the Lubbock campus have completed the telepharmacy component of the Rural Clerkship. Future plans include involving TTUHSC Amarillo and Dallas campus students in the telepharmacy rotation.
Source
No comments:
Post a Comment