Unique model for pharmacist cross‐coverage in the ambulatory care setting

Abstract Clinical cross‐coverage in ambulatory care pharmacy practice is currently lacking and can lead to gaps in patient care, lost revenue generation, and pharmacist burnout due to a lack of time and support for indirect patient care and non‐clinical activities. To address this need, a cross‐coverage model for a team of ambulatory care pharmacists practicing in diverse clinical settings was developed and is primarily supported by a single broadly‐trained pharmacist known as an ambulatory care generalist. Cross‐coverage from the ambulatory care generalist includes in‐person and virtual patient care as well as in‐basket management and is available to all clinic‐based pharmacists on the specialty and primary care team with a few select clinics involving a designated collaborative practice agreement. The cross‐covering pharmacist has been shown to positively impact productivity measures and components of pharmacist burnout. Widespread implementation of this cross‐coverage model has the potential to greatly impact pharmacy practice and patient care in the ambulatory care setting and increase sources of revenue.