EMERGING TREND OPENING DOORS WITH 340B


Q&A:WHAT IS COMMUNITY CARE PHARMACY AND WHAT


IS YOUR ROLE WITHIN IT? By: Dr. Josh Berry, PharmD, Community Care Pharmacy


I


have the pleasure of working as the Pharmacy Manager for Community Care Pharmacy, a new open-door, 340B pharmacy located inside the Community Health Center of Central Missouri - Jeff erson City (CHCCMO).


As a federally qualifi ed health center (FQHC), the clinic serves a wide variety of patients. Approximately half of the patient population relies on Medicaid, while others are uninsured or have Medicare or private insurance. It is not a free clinic, but patients may qualify for discounted services based on household income. For many, the clinic serves as a one-stop shop, off ering family practice, pediatric, OB/GYN, dental, behavioral health, optometry, and now of course, pharmaceutical services. For many years, the clinic had a storage


room near the lobby commonly referred to as “the pharmacy” because the clinic held aspirations of opening an in-house pharmacy to better serve its patients. While CHCCMO had a prescription assistant program to help patients receive support from manufacturers, the clinic’s plan to offi cially open a pharmacy was delayed due to COVID-19. To make opening the pharmacy a reality, the clinic contracted with Cardinal Health. Most think of Cardinal Health as a


medical/pharmaceutical supplier, but the company is also involved in many other aspects of healthcare such as contracting with clinics/hospital systems to own or staff their pharmacies. In this case, the clinic owns the actual pharmacy while the employees inside the pharmacy (including myself) are Cardinal Health employees.


Beyond staffi ng the pharmacy and providing continued support, Cardinal provided the necessary resources and expertise to open a new pharmacy. In February 2024, the clinic’s dream of opening an in-house pharmacy became a reality when Community Care Pharmacy offi cially opened its doors. T e dynamic between Cardinal Health and


smaller clinics and pharmacies is one that I was unaware of prior to starting my current job, but have found that both the pharmacy and clinic benefi t from the relationship. I am able to provide the personalized patient care that customers expect from an independent pharmacy setting, but I benefi t from the structure and resources that Cardinal is able to provide aſt er decades of experience managing smaller pharmacies. Personally, I think it is the best of both worlds, combining the independent setting and corporate structure.


How do you see the pharmacy expanding? As Community Care Pharmacy grows,


we are considering ways to increase patient access to our services. Many of our patients do not have reliable access to transportation or may visit one of our three other locations outside of Jeff erson City that does not have an in-house pharmacy. We have started mailing prescriptions and plan to begin delivery services soon. For more rural patients, we are considering ways to deliver prescriptions to CHCCMO’s smaller clinics to reduce the patient’s driving distance. Soon, I am planning to provide medication therapy management (MTM) services for Medicaid patients and plan to spend a few days each


week outside of the pharmacy workfl ow speaking with patients, on the phone and in- person, about their medications aſt er visiting with their provider.


How did your prior experience prepare you for this role? I graduated from the University of


Missouri - Kansas City School of Pharmacy in 2022. As a student, I worked at Walgreens, which gave me the fl exibility I needed to continue working during the school year and while on breaks. I knew that aſt er graduating I wanted to be in an independent or clinic-based setting. I saw the potential for pharmacy to change in the coming years, so I decided to apply for the Executive Fellowship in Association Management with the Missouri Pharmacy Association. My time as a fellow was invaluable. I


had so much to learn about the business and project management side of pharmacy that was not covered during my time in pharmacy school. As I considered my post- fellowship career prospects, I realized that I missed direct patient care, so I looked for opportunities where I could use the experiences gained from my fellowship in a community setting. I accepted a pharmacy manager position at Whaley’s East End Pharmacy, an independent pharmacy located in Jeff erson City. While I hoped to add clinic services to their three locations, my time at the pharmacy was cut short when the owner made the diffi cult decision to close, due in large part to poor reimbursement. Aſt er the closure, I worked remotely completing MTM calls with Missouri Medicaid patients for


22 Missouri PHARMACIST | Volume 98, Issue II | Summer 2024


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