Incorporating a pharmacist into an interprofessional team providing transgender care under a medical home model.

Publication/Presentation Date

2-1-2017

Abstract

PURPOSE: A pharmacist's role in providing care to transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) patients within a medical home model of care is described.

SUMMARY: A comprehensive transgender services clinic was established in February 2015 in New Mexico. Clinic services are provided under an "informed consent" model of care, as opposed to the traditional "gatekeeper" approach. The clinic's interprofessional team consists of a clinical pharmacist, a psychiatrist, a nurse practitioner, an endocrinologist, a diabetes educator, a massage therapist, a nurse, a nutritionist, and medical assistants. The clinical pharmacist has served in the following roles: (1) assessing health literacy and tailoring the consent process to the patient's literacy level, (2) initiating in-depth discussion of the medical risks and benefits of cross-sex hormone therapy (HT), as well as HT alternatives, (3) discussing typical timelines for physical outcomes of HT, (4) discussing a patient's expectations and goals for csHT, (5) discussing the different HT formulations and helping to determine which formulation is best suited to meeting patient's goals, (6) helping the team obtain prior authorizations for csHT, and (7) managing risk reduction strategies such as smoking cessation and weight loss. Involvement of a pharmacist in the clinic has improved care access and quality for TGNC patients in the southwestern United States.

CONCLUSION: A pharmacist in an interprofessional team staffing a clinic for TGNC people has assumed multiple responsibilities and helped improve patient care.

Volume

74

Issue

3

First Page

135

Last Page

139

ISSN

1535-2900

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

28122755

Department(s)

Department of Medicine

Document Type

Article

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