The Health Resources and Services Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, visited the USC School of Pharmacy and some of the school’s safety-net clinic practice sites Feb. 6-8 as part of a national initiative to identify the elements that contribute to a successful clinical pharmacy practice.

USC was one of 10 sites visited across the country. The information will be incorporated into a nationwide initiative that the administration will launch this summer.

The initiative primarily focuses on the facets that result in improved health outcomes and better patient safety.

The Health Resources representatives Asta Sorensen and Molly Lynch are based at RTI International, a North Carolina-based group affiliated with the project.

Sorensen and Lynch spent three days at the school and its clinics, interviewing Dean R. Pete Vanderveen as well as faculty, residents, on-site clinical pharmacists, clinic medical directors, administrators and other staff to get a sense of the elements that have made the School of Pharmacy practice at safety-net clinics a model for other institutions.

Kathleen Johnson, chair of the Titus Family Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Economics & Policy, explained to the researchers the importance of the practice protocols that California has in place. She also identified the importance of a supportive medical director and staff acceptance of the pharmacist’s role in the clinic.

The researchers questioned pharmacy residents who work in the safety-net environments about their experiences.

“I speak Spanish so I’m able to build a rapport more easily with some patients,” said resident Stephanie Iniguez. “This makes it easier to explain the use of medications and the importance of diet for patients with diabetes.”

In response to patients who speak other languages or are unable to read, associate professor Steven Chen developed a pictorial medication guide.

The guide has been an effective tool, providing patients with medication information they can understand and follow.

Johnson, who holds the William A. and Josephine A. Heeres Chair in Community Pharmacy, also told the researchers about the school’s SHARE program, which provides students with volunteer opportunities at safety-net clinics during the first two years of their pharmacy education.

Iniguez, who participated in the program as a student, said, “SHARE is a great way to see firsthand how clinical pharmacists can work with physicians and other health professionals in a clinical setting.”

At the clinics, pharmacists regularly see patients for disease management services. For example, a patient with diabetes may see a pharmacist each week or every other week, typically resulting in more visits than they would have with a physician and allowing the pharmacist to keep a keen eye on the patient’s status.

The pharmacy team also has implemented a computerized dispensing system in the clinics, safeguarding against medication interactions, incorrect dosing and other medication issues.

On Feb. 22, professor Mel Baron will represent USC at a Health Resources and Services Administration meeting in Denver, where the researchers will discuss initial findings from their national interviews.