The Pharmacist / Fall-Winter 2023 / Volume 1 / Issue 1

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THE CLINICS ALSO THIS IS A NOVEL AND EFFECTIVE WAY TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY MEDICATIONS AND CLINICAL 28 IDOC PRISONS AND TREATMENT CENTERS BENEFITTING FROM UIC TELEMEDICINE 1500 HIV AND HEPATITIS C PATIENTS TREATED EACH YEAR 99 PERCENT OF PATIENTS LIVING WITH SUPPRESED HIV (PREVIOUSLY ONLY 50% BEFORE UIC INTERVENTION) 120 DIABETES PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE COMORBIDITES FOLLOWED To that advocacy point, clinic protocols have evolved over the years. Initially, for example, Chan only saw hepatitis C patients at advanced stages. Now, any individual with the virus may receive care. The clinics also aim to see every new intake within two weeks of their arrival in the IDOC system. Most notably, the clinics have produced impressive results. Before UIC’s arrival, in fact, about 50 percent of IDOC-housed patients living with HIV were virologically suppressed. Today, that number approaches 99 percent. “We’ve moved the marker,” Badowski says. “There’s no denying that.” EXPANDING HERE AND BEYOND The success of the UIC-IDOC telemedicine clinics has generated widespread attention and expanded services. As telemedicine adoption accelerated amid the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, professionals from other states and medical specialties regularly contacted Badowski and Chan for insights on their established practice. “These telemedicine clinics have set a model for clinical practice others can and have followed,” says Dr. Edith Nutescu, head of the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the UIC College of Pharmacy. And last year, UIC expanded its relationship with IDOC when it introduced a telemedicine clinic devoted to diabetes management. A complex and chronic condition, diabetes affects an estimated 2,000 individuals in IDOC custody. Dr. Julio Rebolledo serves as the clinical pharmacist leading IDOC’s diabetes management telemedicine program, a collaboration with the UIC College of Medicine akin to the HIV and hepatitis C clinics. While STUDENTS CAN ALSO TAKE A TELEMEDICINE ELECTIVE TO GAIN AN OVERVIEW OF IT’S A POSITIVE FOR THE PATIENT, THE 10 THE PHARMACIST PHARMACY.UIC.EDU
AIM TO SEE EVERY NEW INTAKE WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF THEIR ARRIVAL IN THE IDOC SYSTEM PHARMACIST EXPERTISE FOR THIS POPULATION patients typically receive diabetes care on-site from a primary care provider, many have multiple comorbidities and require specialized diabetes care. Those individuals are referred to Rebolledo, who conducts a remote comprehensive diabetes assessment, ensures medication optimization, and oversees all follow-ups. After seeing but a handful of patients each week throughout his opening months, largely limited to IDOC’s Dixon and Stateville facilities, Rebolledo’s caseload continues swelling as new IDOC facilities come on board. As of September 2023, Rebolledo is following 120 patients. “Access to optimal diabetes care is complicated enough for the general population, and it’s a positive for the patient, the community, and the whole system when these individuals have access to first-line therapies, timely care, and education that keeps them healthy,” Rebolledo says. MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH Nutescu calls UIC’s telemedicine effort with IDOC a critical and important practice serving a vulnerable patient population, advancing health, and preserving cash in a budget-challenged state. “With disease states like hepatitis C, HIV, and diabetes being high cost and high risk, this is a novel and effective way to provide the necessary medications and clinical pharmacist expertise for this population,” Nutescu says. The College of Pharmacy, meanwhile, captures benefits from the relationship as well. In particular, students, residents, and trainees can work alongside top chronic disease experts during rotations and gain valuable experience in a tech-charged practice likely to become more commonplace throughout their careers. “The telemedicine rotation is like no other,” Badowski says, adding that students can also take a telemedicine elective to gain an overview of the emerging service and its role in healthcare systems. Badowski recently taught that course alongside Chan. Yet more, learners can also gain clinical research experience. Over the years, IDOC has approved a host of trainee-led, retrospective research studies examining clinical outcomes. Given the relationship’s benefits to various stakeholders—the College of Pharmacy, IDOC, individuals in custody, and learners among them—it’s no wonder many hope to see the model grow. Nutescu says the college is working with IDOC to identify other high-need disease states and strategize its next wave of action, which might include conditions such as hypertension or pulmonary disease. Thereafter, the college hopes to export its model to other state correctional agencies, many of whom have already inquired about, if not studied, UIC’s model. Across the United States, many states continue struggling to meet the health needs of those in correctional custody, frequently battling budgetary, social, and political realities. “There’s a clear need for a service like this, so how can we bring clinical pharmacy services to all prisons?” Badowski asks. “We’ve had excellent outcomes and been able to advocate for our patients, so there’s a successful model others can follow.” But until then, Badowski, Chan, and Rebolledo will continue their purpose-driven work. “Another Monday is just around the corner,” Chan says. JULIO REBOLLEDO THE EMERGING SERVICE AND ITS ROLE IN HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS COMMUNITY, AND THE WHOLE SYSTEM WHEN THESE INDIVIDUALS HAVE ACCESS TO FIRST-LINE THERAPIES FALL/WINTER 2023 THE PHARMACIST 11
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Page 3 and 4: 8 4 20 EDITORIAL CREDITS PUBLISHER
Page 5 and 6: standard for pharmaceutical care ac
Page 7 and 8: Dr. ZACKERY P. BULMAN is the recipi
Page 9 and 10: Student pharmacist SAM FORDJOUR was
Page 11: EXCELLENT OUTCOMES AND BEEN ABLE TO
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Page 17 and 18: ANDSTAYCONNECTED REIGNITETHEFLAME!
Page 19 and 20: Ten Years gram BY LAURA HAYES Inter
Page 21 and 22: IN MEMORIAM LEONARD R. GROENEVELD,
Page 23 and 24: WEDDINGS SEP 23 CHRIS SAFFORE, Phar

The Pharmacist / Fall-Winter 2023 / Volume 1 / Issue 1

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