Center for Advancing Pharmacy Practice and Research Excellence

College of Pharmacy Center for Advancing Pharmacy Practice and Research Excellence

The College of Pharmacy has launched an interdisciplinary team that is charged with developing the Center for Advancing Pharmacy Practice and Research Excellence, or CAPRE. Health care costs are predicted to continue to grow almost six percent annually. Combine that with a projected future shortage of health care providers, including primary care and specialty physicians, the need for a center dedicated to improving patient care and enhancing the services provided by pharmacists and psychologists alike is evident. The College of Pharmacy is uniquely positioned to do both. Other needs in Idaho and beyond are related to health care and public health weaknesses revealed by COVID-19, such as overtaxed health care providers. In terms of mental health need, Idaho ranks 49th for adult mental health and 46th for children’s mental health. The need continues to grow also for innovation in community pharmacy to diversify revenue and adopt alternative business models integrating pharmacistprovided health care services. Although now in its infancy, CAPRE is designed to respond to all of these issues.

The Opportunity

• Pharmacist scope of practice has expanded to include independent prescribing

• Pharmacists and psychologists are prepared to contribute to meeting needs

• Idaho pharmacies provide

- testing and treatment for conditions such as influenza and streptococcus

- immunizations and other injectable therapies

- medication therapy management

• Idaho prescribing psychologists provide

- access to mental health evaluation and service

- medication therapy

Enabling Pharmacists and Psychologists

• Pharmacist practice authority in Idaho expanded by

- revision of the Pharmacy Practice Act and Board of Pharmacy Rules

- COVID-19 pandemic testing, immunizing, and prescribing authorizations from Idaho and federal government

• Psychologist practice authority in Idaho expanded by

- revision of Psychologists Practice Act and Board of Examiners of Psychologists Rules

- College of Pharmacy designated to offer MS in Clinical Psychopharmacology

The Strategy

• Advocating for pharmacists and psychologists to provide services that bring solutions to access to healthcare needs in Idaho.

• Promoting fair and sustainable compensation models for expanded services provided by pharmacists and psychologists.

• Educating pharmacists and psychologists to effectively and safely provide expanded services.

• Researching innovative practice initiatives and patient care outcomes resulting from expanded services.

The CAPRE team is charged with:

• Obtaining necessary approvals for establishing a CenterDONE

• Creating a draft Vision, Mission, and Value statements

• Creating a draft aspirational organizational framework

• Proposing operational outcomes/services

• Proposing viable funding models

• Proposing an implementation timeline

Watch our future editions of The Refill and The Bulletin as CAPRE develops, and to learn more about ways you can be involved.