Book teaches pharmacists how to fill health care gap

Community and Clinical Pharmacy Services:
A Step-by-Step Approach by Ashley Ellis and Justin Sherman

shley W. Ellis, clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice, and Justin J. Sherman, associate professor of pharmacy practice, have recently published a book on community and clinical pharmacy. Community and Clinical Pharmacy Services: A Step-by-Step Approach teaches pharmacy students and practicing pharmacists how to provide advanced levels of services designed to help patients achieve specific health goals and treat common disease states such as obesity, osteoporosis and diabetes.

"This book is unique because it is one of the first of its kind to offer clinical background, business planning resources, example protocols and real-world interviews with pharmacists successfully implementing these clinical services," Ellis said.

The book also aims to help pharmacists fill a gap in American health care, Ellis said.

"The Affordable Care Act makes specific mention of the importance of primary care providers and patient access to care," she said. "Pharmacists are well positioned to help fill both of these mentioned."

Somewhere between one-third and one-half of the U.S. population does not have a primary care provider, Ellis said.

"However, the average American lives within five miles of a community pharmacy," she said. "Pharmacists' extensive medication knowledge, clinical skill s training and accessibility make them prime candidates to step up as mid-level providers and help to fill this gap."

Both Ellis and Sherman hope that the book will have a great impact on pharmacists and students. The text, which is ideal for a classroom setting, comes with PowerPoint presentations prepared by each chapter's expert author.

"The book's step-by-step approach is useful because it assists those pharmacists new to the field or those used to conducting their practice in a certain way to explore different ways of implementing pharmacy services – and all the tools needed for a specific disease state are found within each chapter," Sherman said.

Numerous UM faculty members wrote chapters for the book and reviewed the text. Other UM contributors are Leigh Ann Ross, associate dean for clinical affairs; Daniel M. Riche, assistant professor of pharmacy practice; Laurie Warrington, clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice; Matthew W. Strum, clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice; Courtney Davis, clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice; Meagan Brown, clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice; Lauren Bloodworth, coordinator for student services and student professional development; and Rachel C. Robinson, clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice.

Community and Clinical Pharmacy Services: A Step-by-Step Approach is available for purchase at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and McGraw-Hill.