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2025-08-08
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Pharmacy Practice & Practice-Based Research
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Copyright (c) 2025 Shervin Gorji, Alla Melamed Khaytin, Emily Zoelle, Anatoliy Fain, Jordan Denas, Tammy Nguyen, Joshua Yaich
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright of content published in INNOVATIONS in pharmacy belongs to the author(s).
Assessing the Impact of Pharmacist-Initiated versus Provider-Initiated Patient Enrollment in Meds to Bed Services
Shervin Gorji
Mount Sinai Hospital
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0943-0579
Alla Melamed Khaytin
Department of Pharmacy, Mount Sinai Brooklyn
https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8241-8316
Emily Zoelle
Department of Pharmacy, Mount Sinai Brooklyn
Anatoliy Fain
Department of Pharmacy, Mount Sinai Brooklyn
Jordan Denas
Department of Pharmacy, Mount Sinai Brooklyn
Tammy Nguyen
Department of Pharmacy, Mount Sinai Brooklyn
Joshua Yaich
Department of Pharmacy, Mount Sinai Brooklyn
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/iip.v16i2.6378
Keywords: meds to beds, discharge counseling, transitions of care, counseling, pharmacy, provider, enrollment
Abstract
Purpose: This study evaluated the impact of pharmacist-initiated versus provider-initiated patient enrollment in the Meds to Beds program. The primary objective was to compare the number of high-risk readmission patients enrolled through pharmacist-initiated versus provider-initiated processes. Secondary objectives included comparing 30-day all-cause and heart failure readmission rates, number of prescriptions delivered, patients receiving pharmacist counseling, and impact on HCAHPS scores.
Methods: This retrospective, single-center cohort study compared patients in the provider-initiated program (August–October 2023) with those in the pharmacist-initiated program (November 2023–February 2024) at Mount Sinai Brooklyn. Inclusion criteria for the intervention group included patients with COPD, asthma, CHF, ACS, diabetes, hypertension, or age >75. Exclusion criteria included discharges to long-term care facilities and prescriptions for C-II controlled substances. Data analysis included the number of patients being enrolled, counseling numbers, prescribed medications, and readmission rates. Data were sourced from Epic. Descriptive statistics, p-values, and chi-squared testing were used for analysis.
Results: A total of 380 patients were enrolled in the pharmacist-initiated group and 162 in the provider-initiated group; 228 and 162 patients received counseling in the respective groups. Of those counseled, 19.7% in the pharmacist-initiated group were readmitted within 30 days, compared to 19.1% in the provider-initiated group. For heart failure patients, 29.6% in the pharmacist-initiated group were readmitted within 30 days, versus 36.4% in the provider-initiated group. HCAHPS scores increased by 15% from Q1 to Q4 2023. The pharmacist-initiated process saw a 26% increase in total medications prescribed.
Conclusion: Pharmacists played a pivotal role in enhancing the Meds to Beds process to improve patient outcomes and satisfaction.
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Author Biography
Alla Melamed Khaytin, Department of Pharmacy, Mount Sinai Brooklyn
Associate director of pharmacy at Mount Sinai Brooklyn
