Role and Impact of a Clinical Pharmacy Team at an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center

BACKGROUND: There is limited literature describing the role of a clinical pharmacy team within a tertiary academic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) center. The goal of this paper is to describe and showcase the clinical and operational impact of an integrated clinical pharmacy team. METHODS: This was a retrospective study evaluating the referral outcomes for all patients referred to University of Chicago Medicine Specialty Pharmacy for self-administered advanced IBD therapies covered by prescription insurance from October 1, 2020 to October 31, 2021. RESULTS: A total of 1800 referrals were received for advanced IBD therapies. Prior authorizations (PAs) were required and submitted for 1700 referrals. Of those 1700 PA submissions, 297 (17%) were denied by insurance. To overturn the denials, 344 appeals, including second-level appeals and external reviews, were submitted. Manufacturer patient assistance programs were obtained for 69 patients. From the 1800 referrals, 98% of patients were successfully started on the intended therapy. Clinically, there were 2141 pharmacist-initiated interventions by 2 IBD pharmacists. The most common interventions were prevention in interruption of therapy and providing patient education. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical pharmacy teams are well positioned to streamline care within a tertiary academic IBD center. Their unique skillset and ability to provide high yield medication access supports the use of this model as a best practice in IBD centers.