Assessing Readiness of Community Pharmacists to Perform and Document Medically Billed Clinical Services

OBJECTIVES: To assess the readiness of community pharmacists in documenting and performing medically billed clinical services. Additionally, the preferred training method of community pharmacists was evaluated. METHODS: This study surveyed practicing pharmacists in a chain community pharmacy in Washington State via a voluntary, anonymous online survey through Qualtrics. Data collected in the survey measured each pharmacist's self-perceived ability to perform examinations and to gather and document patient subjective and objective information compliant with medical billing requirements. In addition, questions evaluated the training methods pharmacists preferred in the community setting. The data was aggregated and analyzed utilizing descriptive statistics to assess pharmacists' self-perceived baseline understanding regarding documenting and performing medically billed clinical services as well training preferences of the pharmacists surveyed. RESULTS: Pharmacists in the study had a generally higher perceived ability in performing past medical history, medical decision-making and clinical documentation of a medical visit. In contrast, pharmacists in the community setting had a lower perceived ability performing physical assessment criteria in a medically billed clinical visit. This study indicated that pharmacists in the community setting preferred live small-group training on future medical billing. CONCLUSION: Pharmacists have some of the skills necessary to perform and bill clinical visits; however, there is room for improvement in particular areas where pharmacists have a lack of training and experience.