Celebrating National Pharmacy Month: Innovative IHS Programs Making a Community Impact

In honor of National Pharmacy Month, we are highlighting some innovative programs led by Indian Health Service pharmacists who are making an impact in their communities. From leadership development to wellness visits and harm reduction, these programs showcase the critical role of pharmacists in advancing public health across IHS facilities.

Post Graduate Year 2 Corporate Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Residency Program

by Lt. Cmdr. Fiona Chao, PharmD, PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident, Phoenix Indian Medical Center, Phoenix Area

The IHS began its first Post-Graduate Year 2 Corporate Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (PGY2 CPAL) Residency Program in 2024. This program is the first of its kind in IHS, and it is geared to recruit and retain future leaders. Graduates of this program will develop capabilities surrounding targeted strategies to impact public health and population health outcomes, apply an implementation and improvement framework to impact complex systems problems, and translate evidence into practice.

This residency is hosted by the Phoenix Indian Medical Center. Learning experiences are divided between IHS headquarters and local pharmacy leadership and include supply chain management, clinical services management, financial management, clinical operations, medication safety, organization management, and regulatory compliance. This is a great opportunity to prepare pharmacists for high-level managerial, supervisory, and leadership responsibilities in IHS.

Building on the development of future leaders in pharmacy administration, the IHS is also dedicated to enhancing patient care at the clinical level. One such initiative is the Annual Wellness Visits program at Claremore Indian Hospital in Oklahoma, which provides comprehensive health to senior patients.

Annual Wellness Visits at Claremore Indian Hospital

by Lt. Cmdr. Taylor Morris, PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist, Claremore Indian Hospital, Oklahoma City Area

The Claremore Indian Hospital Pharmacy has added the Annual Wellness Visits program to its pharmacy clinical services. When conducting this new service, the pharmacist will:

• Gain information about the patient's medical and family history using a health risk assessment
• Review the patient's overall wellness, including emotional and psychological well-being
• Develop a personalized preventative medicine plan that allows us the opportunity to help prevent disease and disability based on the patient's current health and risk factors

This is available for all patients ages 66 years and older. Pharmacists are the primary lead for the visits and collaborate with the primary care provider on recommendations.

The program schedules a visit every day of the week and has been well received by both patients and primary care providers. This is a billable service that has generated revenue for the facility. For more information, please reach out to Lt. Cmdr. Taylor Morris, PharmD, at [email protected].

While wellness visits support preventative care for seniors, IHS also recognizes the need for specialized support for individuals with different health challenges. The Harm Reduction Program at Cass Lake Indian Health Service addresses critical health disparities, particularly among individuals facing substance abuse use disorders, by providing accessible, judgment-free resources for harm reduction.

Cass Lake Indian Health Service Harm Reduction Program

by Lt. Cmdr. Rachel Washburn, PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist, Cass Lake Indian Health Service, Bemidji Area

The Cass Lake IHS Pharmacy's Harm Reduction Program has demonstrated a commitment to health equity through a strategic approach to identifying, prioritizing, and addressing health disparities.

Local Harm Reduction Program Lead Dr. Whitney Dickson identified the need for harm reduction services within the community due to the ongoing opioid crisis, high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and the overall lack of local services for individuals with substance use disorder. To increase access to care, the Harm Reduction Program is available as a walk-in service during pharmacy operating hours.

Pharmacists, residents, and student pharmacists provide confidential and non-judgmental education on safer injection practices, overdose prevention, and treatment, resulting in the development of therapeutic relationships. The program can provide syringes, high-dose naloxone nasal spray, sharps containers to safely store used syringes, safer injection kits, safer sex kits, and fentanyl and xylazine test strips. The program also offers STI testing to all participants.

The Harm Reduction Program has provided care to nearly 150 patients through over 800 visits. The program has dispensed close to 40,000 syringes, 550 naloxone nasal spray kits, and 2,000 safer sex kits. Over 100 STI bundles have been completed, resulting in over 40 patients getting treatment for an STI. For more information, please reach out to the program lead, Dr. Whitney Dickson, at [email protected].

Lt. Cmdr. Rachel Washburn is a clinical pharmacist at Cass Lake Indian Health Service in northern Minnesota. She also serves as the residency program director and is passionate about increasing clinical services and access to care.