Kerr opening MTM-only location in Charleston
Maintaining relationships with patients, employers a key motivator
keeping clinical staff in area after regional chain decided to end
dispensing operations in area.
Patients used to receiving medication therapy management (MTM)
services at Kerr Drug might have been concerned when they heard that the
chain was selling its units in the Charleston, SC, area. Those fears
proved unfounded, however, as patients will soon be seeing the same
pharmacists they’ve grown to trust at a new, clinical-only KDI
Health Solutions location in the historic Palmetto State city.
Kerr Drug is a regional chain with pharmacies in North Carolina and
the Charleston area. After the decision was made to pull retail
dispensing operations from South Carolina, managers assessed what to do
with the fiscally and philosophically strong MTM program that had linked
clinical faculty from the nearby campus of the University of South
Carolina pharmacy school, two community pharmacy practice residents, MTM
pharmacists, and an administrative coordinator. The mix of vaccine
services, a general MTM program, and the Diabetes Ten City Challenge
program proved to be something Kerr managers did not want to
shutter.
“In South Carolina, our recognized status with the American
Diabetes Association enables us to receive compensation for diabetes
care we provide from both Medicare and Medicaid,” Rebecca Chater,
BPharm, MPH, president of KDI Health Solutions, said.
“Combining this robust MTM program with our strong belief that
pharmacists have tremendous value beyond the prescriptions they
dispense, we decided to open an MTM location near our previous clinical
locations on International Boulevard.”
The new unit opens later this month. The MTM pharmacists moving from
the old Kerr pharmacies will continue to provide general clinical
services as well as immunizations for patients. “The combination
of private spaces for patient consultation and individual appointments
with pharmacists has been a winning formula for Kerr,” Chater
added. “It is this personal relationship that ensures that
pharmacists are able to meet their patients’ needs. Patients need
information—and through KDI Health Solutions, we will continue to
be there to help.”
Related resources on www.pharmacist.com
Related resources on the Web:
L. Michael Posey, BPharm (mposey)
Posted September 11, 2009, 10:30 am EDT
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