Pharmacy Use Survey for Health Accessibility

Overseen By Ryan Whisler, PharmD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Johns Hopkins University

Must be taking: Specialty medications

Disqualifiers: Under 18, Non-English speakers, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to explore how often patients use more than one pharmacy to obtain their specialty medications and their opinions on this situation. It focuses on patients prescribed at least one specialty medication in the last three months. Participants will complete a survey to share their experiences and opinions. Those electronically prescribed a specialty medication by a specific healthcare provider in the last three months are well-suited for this trial. As an unphased study, this trial offers participants the chance to provide valuable insights that could enhance pharmacy services for specialty medications.

Do I need to stop my current medications for this trial?

The trial does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems to focus on surveying patients about their pharmacy use rather than changing their medication regimen.

What prior data suggests that this survey is safe?

In a previous study, researchers found that surveys provide a safe and effective method for gathering patient information. Surveys often help understand patient thoughts and experiences without health risks. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) created a special survey to assess safety practices in pharmacies, demonstrating their commitment to safe data collection. Since this trial involves only survey completion, participants face no known safety concerns. Surveys are easy to complete and do not involve physical treatments or medications. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it focuses on understanding how patients interact with specialty pharmacies, which is crucial for improving health accessibility. Unlike traditional treatments that directly address a medical condition, this survey aims to gather insights into the patient experience with specialty medications. By identifying barriers and facilitators in accessing these medications, the trial could lead to enhanced pharmacy services and improved patient outcomes. This approach is different because it prioritizes patient feedback to potentially reshape pharmacy practices, bridging gaps in healthcare access.

What evidence suggests that this survey is effective for evaluating multiple pharmacy use?

In this trial, researchers will survey participants about their experiences with specialty pharmacies. In a previous study, patients using specialty pharmacies reported that their medications were very effective. Research has shown that specialty pharmacies, especially those connected to health systems, lead to better patient satisfaction and outcomes. Patients using these pharmacies often find their medications work well and are happy with their care. Another study found that specialty pharmacies linked to universities had higher patient satisfaction compared to those that were not. These findings suggest that using specialty pharmacies can improve medication effectiveness and enhance patient experiences. ^{1 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Whisler, PharmD

Principal Investigator

Johns Hopkins University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This survey is for adults over 18 who speak English and are patients at the conducting institution. They must have been prescribed a specialty medication recently, within the last three months, and be able to give informed consent.

Inclusion Criteria

I was prescribed a specialty medication electronically by my doctor in the last 3 months.

An active patient of a performance institution and ability to provide informed consent to participate with the survey

Exclusion Criteria

I haven't had a new specialty medication prescribed in the last 3 months.

I am unable or unwilling to give my consent for participation.

Non-English speakers

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Survey Administration

Consented patients are asked a series of 11 questions about their attitudes and experience with taking and obtaining their specialty medication(s)

1-2 weeks

Data Collection

Additional demographic and clinical information about patients is collected via chart review

1-2 weeks

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for their experience with obtaining and administering medications, method of obtaining medications, and self-reported adherence and barriers

Within one year of study initiation

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Survey

Trial Overview

The study involves a survey designed to measure how often people need to use multiple pharmacies for their specialty medications, what they think about this practice, and what might make it more likely to happen.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Specialty Pharmacy Patient Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Patients who have been prescribed at least one selected specialty medication

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Johns Hopkins University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

2,366

Recruited

15,160,000+

University of California, Los Angeles

Collaborator

Trials

1,594

Recruited

10,430,000+

The Cleveland Clinic

Collaborator

Trials

1,072

Recruited

1,377,000+

University of Illinois at Chicago

Collaborator

Trials

653

Recruited

1,574,000+

University of Washington

Collaborator

Trials

1,858

Recruited

2,023,000+

Citations

1.

naspnet.org

naspnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/WHITE-PAPER_2023-Patient-Satisfaction-Survey.pdf

2023 Patient Satisfaction Survey Results

The Academic based specialty pharmacies scored two and a half a points higher than. Non-Academic Health System based specialty phar- macies, with the ...

2.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11217860/

Evaluating patient-reported adherence and outcomes in ...

Patients filling specialty medications within a health system specialty pharmacy model reported high rates of medication effectiveness and patient-reported ...

3.

perspectives.cps.com

perspectives.cps.com/hssp-patient-engagement-outcomes-post-transition-management

Impact of a Health System Specialty Pharmacy on Patient ...

The Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 (RAPID3) is a validated patient-reported outcome measure survey recommended by the American College of ...

4.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8142709/

Development, implementation, and evaluation of a health ...

Vanderbilt Specialty Pharmacy developed a health outcomes and research program to measure and communicate the value of this model, drive improvement in patient ...

5.

vanderbiltspecialtypharmacy.com

vanderbiltspecialtypharmacy.com/health-outcomes-research

Health Outcomes & Research

The Vanderbilt Specialty Pharmacy Health Outcomes and Research Program improves patient care through sound research while furthering innovation and insights.

6.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5760059/

Assessment of Pharmacy Department Patient Safety ...

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) developed and validated the Community Pharmacy Survey on Patient Safety Culture (CPSPSC) (formerly the ...

7.

ucihealth.org

ucihealth.org/patients-and-visitors/information-for-patients/specialty-pharmacy/provider-satisfaction-survey

Specialty Pharmacy Provider Satisfaction Survey

We value the opinion of our providers. Please take a moment to fill out the survey below. Your response to this survey will help us improve the quality of ...

8.

jmcp.org

jmcp.org/doi/10.18553/jmcp.2022.28.1.85

Pharmacists as accessible health care providers

This study found that patients visit their community pharmacies almost twice as often as they visit their physicians or other QHP.

9.

pharmacytimes.com

pharmacytimes.com/view/patient-safety-and-the-role-of-a-specialty-pharmacist-in-a-health-system

Patient Safety and the Role of a Specialty Pharmacist in ...

The specialty pharmacist has a unique role in medication safety. Not only are they responsible for ensuring safe, effective, appropriate use of specialty ...