Pharmacy Community Access Project (CAP)

Health care access

East LA South LA

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Health and social risk factors have created stark health disparities within Via Care’s service area — East Los Angeles, South Gate, and the surrounding communities. 99% of our patients make less than 200% of the federal poverty line and this region has high rates of co-occurring chronic illnesses requiring complex medication regimens. However, many individuals — particularly our low-income seniors, immigrants, and Latinx community members — face challenges in accessing medications and adhering to treatment plans. Language barriers and low health literacy rates make it difficult for patients to understand medication instructions; fragmented care and miscommunication leads to duplicative prescriptions, transportation challenges hinder follow-up, and poverty creates steep cost barriers to optimum medication brands. As a result, our community often experiences excessive “polypharmacy” (5 or more daily medications), which is costly, inefficient, and raises risks of adverse drug reactions.

Via Care’s Medication Therapy Management (MTM) pilot program addresses critical gaps in chronic disease care for low-income patients of color. MTM advances an integrated care model whereby clinical pharmacists work directly with patients to ensure optimal safe and effective medication use, always in the context of family, care giving, and community. Bilingual clinical pharmacists work collaboratively with patients, caregivers, primary care providers, and behavioral health providers (as appropriate) to develop individualized care plans. During this process, patients and caregivers engage in thoughtful dialogues to establish treatment plans that are compatible with both patients’ preferences and medical needs. Individuals leave these conversations with patient-centered health plans and a thorough understanding of medication regimens, including knowledge of signs of adverse reactions and worsening conditions. After patients complete their visits to Via Care’s in-house pharmacy, clinical pharmacists follow up within 48 hours post-appointment via telehealth to check in and assess any medication side effects. Most Via Care patients are also eligible to receive free medication home-deliveries, eliminating transportation-related access barriers as they progress through their treatment. This enhanced support has an invaluable positive impact on the lives of our vulnerable patients who benefit from tailored care and long-term chronic disease management.

LA2050 funding would support Pharmacy CAP, a pivotal MTM program expansion helping us hire an additional clinical pharmacist to serve new regions within Via Care’s service area. This project will help low-income, underserved individuals better manage their chronic conditions. Patients and caretakers will have a more comprehensive understanding of the medications prescribed by their providers, and these prescriptions will be responsive to their needs and concerns. The resulting treatment adherence will improve the quality of life of individuals managing co-occurring chronic conditions. These short-term benefits will have rippling impacts for Los Angeles County at large. By reducing health disparities through compassionate, routine care, we combat preventable health emergencies. Avoiding more costly disease developments saves families money that they may otherwise pay for emergency care, improving the lives of participating patients and the loved ones that support them.