Association News

Grant Opportunity: TPREF Now Accepting Applications for Patient Care Program

To: TPA Members

The Tennessee Pharmacists Research and Education Foundation (TPREF) was recently awarded a $750,000 grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) to explore the role of pharmacists as providers of care and expand integration of pharmacists into collaborative, team-based models of care as non-physician practitioners. Today, the TPREF is excited to announce that it is now accepting applications for pharmacist and pharmacy participation in this very important patient care initiative.

The three primary goals of this program, over the next four years, are to:

1. Train and credential 100 pharmacists through the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) and National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Diabetes Accreditation Standards/Practical Applications (DASPA) programs to provide patient care services focused on prevention and management of diabetes and hypertension
2. Deliver care to 100 patients in Tennessee through trained and credentialed pharmacists practicing at 100 pharmacy practice sites
3. Achieve accreditation through the AADE Diabetes Education Accreditation Program for their 100 pharmacy practice sites. Once these practice sites are accredited, pharmacists at the practice sites will be able to deliver and bill for diabetes self-management education provided to Medicare beneficiaries.

TPREF is actively seeking interested pharmacists to apply to participate in this grant program. Participation in this program will be limited to 25 pharmacists each year for the next 4 years. Pharmacy practice sites will be selected based on criteria, including targeted medically underserved areas, as defined by the CDC and TDH and included in the grant narrative. This grant program is limited to pharmacists in pharmacy practice sites located in Tennessee. The deadline to apply for this program for 2014-2015 is Wednesday, October 15, 2014, at 5:00 pm Central Time.

Pharmacists participating in this program in 2014-2015 must submit the application and agree to complete all of the following steps:

1. Sign up for and complete the NCPA DASPA training program on November 8-9, 2014, including the pre-work through AADE. The live training program will be held in Nashville, Tennessee, on November 8-9, 2014.
2. Enroll, provide care, and document your care and interventions for at least one patient in your practice site, within 6 months following completion of the NCPA DASPA training program.
3. Submit an application to become accredited through AADE, and provide confirmation of accreditation.

What is covered by this grant program for selected 2014-2015 applicants?

1. The registration fee for one pharmacist to access the AADE pre-work and attend the NCPA DASPA training program as part of this grant program
2. Financial support for pharmacists to deliver diabetes and hypertension care and management to one patient at each pharmacy practice site, payable upon the successful documentation and delivery of care
3. The AADE accreditation fee, if application for the fee is submitted to AADE prior to June 30, 2015.

What do you need to do to apply for consideration in this grant program?

If you are interested in participating in this very important pharmacist-provided patient care initiative, please CLICK HERE or go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WMPQ3R9 and complete the application. Even if you plan to apply for consideration for future years, please click on the link and complete the application.

TPREF has partnered with the following healthcare organizations on this grant program:

State-Level Partners:

• Tennessee Department of Health (TDH)
• Tennessee Primary Care Association (TPCA)
• Tennessee Hospital Association (THA)

National-Level Partners:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)
• American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE)

This grant award builds upon a demonstration program, currently underway in Tennessee, focused on pharmacist-provided diabetes care and management. To read more about the BCBST Health Foundation program, CLICK HERE or follow this link: https://www.tnpharm.org/?p=2539. Results from this demonstration program, which is a partnership between TPREF and the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation, should be available by the end of 2015.

TPREF will provide successful 2014-2015 applicants with further instructions via email to the primary contact person for the program as designated in the application.

If you have additional questions about this program, please contact the Tennessee Pharmacists Research and Education Foundation at 615-256-3023 or send an email to tpref@tnpharm.org.