AMCP Student Chapter Hosts Medicare Part D Outreach Event
Student pharmacists enroll seniors from Baltimore into prescription benefit programs
By Christian Reyes
November 24, 2009
The School of Pharmacy’s Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) student chapter hosted its inaugural Medicare Part D Community Outreach Program on Nov. 17 at the Hatton Senior Center in Baltimore. The student pharmacists practiced their clinical skills in a community outreach setting through patient counseling and enrolling seniors in cost-effective Medicare Part D prescription benefit programs.
Medicare is administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The relatively new Part D program specifically details the benefits of prescription drugs. The overabundance of information regarding Medicare eligibility, enrollment requirements, and additional financial aid programs can make it challenging for seniors to properly enroll. Throughout the program, Larissa Lang, a Senior Health Insurance Program coordinator and a senior member of the Baltimore City Commission on Aging and Retirement Education, provided oversight and Medicare education. In addition, AMCP consulted Jody Gan of the Maryland Senior Prescription Drug Assistance Program to provide a comprehensive overview of the important information necessary for properly conducting a Medicare counseling session.
During the event, the student pharmacists had the opportunity to interview each patient in order to obtain a medical history. This experience required students to use the interview skills, medication counseling education, and drug knowledge they received from their training and curriculum at the School of Pharmacy. The program was intended to guide elderly patients to choose the best prescription drug plan for his or her specific needs. After students demonstrated to the patients how to navigate the Medicare website, each patient was given a complete list of possible options from which to choose.
“Initially, many patients expressed their confusion and anxiety at the amount of information to digest,” said Miah Jung, the Medicare Part D Community Outreach Coordinator for AMCP. “As we clarified the meaning of certain plan conditions such as monthly premiums, deductibles, and gap coverage, the patients felt more comfortable and less worried.”
In the end, the process helped streamline the available options to a select few which were the most cost-effective and specific to that patient. More importantly, the patient was able to visually compare and contrast the different plans which would aid them in the decision making process. In describing the event, Jung, a member of the Class of 2012 , said, “Selecting the best Medicare prescription drug plan can be confusing and frustrating. However, with the clinical skills we are developing in pharmacy school, pharmacy students are actually quite equipped to assist seniors in reviewing their medications and choosing the best, most affordable Medicare plan.”
Months of preparation culminated into this exciting opportunity for University of Maryland School of Pharmacy students to provide a wonderful and necessary service to the senior citizens of Baltimore. The experience helped reinforce the training student pharmacists receive during school and established the role of pharmacists in the community. Justin Bakhshai, Class of 2011 and AMCP president, noted, “The Medicare Part D Community Outreach Program portends significant growth and innovation within our profession. We are extremely proud to offer Doctor of Pharmacy candidates an opportunity to apply their skills, while serving the community.”