Impact of Medication Onboarding: A Clinical Pharmacist-Run "Onboarding" Telephone Service for Patients Entering a Primary Care Practice

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated the role of pharmacists during periods of transition of care. However, there are minimal studies that evaluate the impact that a pharmacist can have when a patient transitions his or her care to a new primary care provider (PCP). Objective: To assess the impact of a pharmacist-run medication onboarding service for patients new to a primary care (PC) practice. Methods: This prospective cohort study was approved by an institutional review board. Patients 50 years old and new to a PC practice were called by a pharmacist to obtain a medication list and identify any medication issues and recommendations. Recommendations were documented in the electronic medical record (EMR) and provided to the PCP prior to patients' first appointments. After each appointment, the EMR was reviewed to determine the status of recommendations. As a comparison, the medication list and PCP's initial appointment notes were reviewed for a similar cohort of patients not receiving a call. Medication-related actions taken at new patients' first appointments were then compared between the pharmacist-assisted (intervention) and usual care (control) groups. Results: Forty-two percent versus 15% of medication issues were enacted in the intervention and control groups (P = .001), respectively. Seventy-seven percent of PCPs found the service beneficial and time-saving during initial new patient visits; 85% felt the service helped them manage patients' medication therapy. Conclusion: A pharmacist-provided medication onboarding service results in significantly more medication issues addressed by the PCP compared with new patient visits not preceded by this service.