Assessing the impact of certified pharmacy technicians on behavioral health care management

Background More than 50 million Americans experience a behavioral health illness. Adherence to prescribed medication is important for those with mental illness. Pharmacists are widely used health care providers, especially in rural areas with a limited number of mental health professionals. Owing to pharmacists' increased duties, certified pharmacy technicians (CPhTs) can assume broader roles in patient care. Cape Fear Clinic serves rural counties wherein most patients experience a mental health illness. A CPhT intervention was implemented to assess the impact of ongoing care management after the initiation of a behavioral health medication. Objective The primary objective was to assess changes in Short Form Health Survey 12 (SF-12) scores after participation in a CPhT-led care management program. The secondary objectives were to assess behavioral health medication proportion of days covered (PDC) and suicidal/homicidal ideation at baseline and 12 weeks after the intervention. Methods Patients aged 18 years and older receiving a first-time prescription for a behavioral health medication or dose change were included. CPhTs contacted patients telephonically at enrollment and at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after enrollment. Data collected at each touchpoint included SF-12 score, suicidal or homicidal ideation, and PDC. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results A total of 34 patients were enrolled; 9 patients (24%) completed the 12-week program. The average change in the SF-12 mental component score was +12.7 (baseline, 38.8; final, 51.5) and the SF-12 physical component score was −1.3 (baseline, 47.1; final, 45.8). Average PDC values were 71% (n = 1), 83% (n = 1), 87% (n = 1), and 100% (n = 6). Suicidal or homicidal ideation was positively reported in 7% of appointments (n = 6 of 86); 100% of positive findings (n = 6 of 6) were reported to the care team. There were 0 positive suicidal or homicidal ideation reports (0%) at program completion. Conclusion This CPhT-led care management service contributed to improved mental health, measured through SF-12 scores, and decreased positive suicidal ideation or homicidal ideation findings.