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PRESS RELEASE PQA & CPF Announce 2019 Community Pharmacy Innovation in Quality Award Recipients Awards Honor an Individual and Community Pharmacy for Innovative, Pioneering Practices Alexandria, Va. (May 16, 2019) – The Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA) and the Community Pharmacy Foundation (CPF) announced today the recipients of the 2019 Community Pharmacy Innovation in Quality (CPIQ) Awards. The awards honor an individual and a community pharmacy, whose innovative practices have improved care quality, medication optimization and patient outcomes. The 2019 CPIQ Award recipient in the individual category is Lindsey Valenzuela, PharmD, APh, BCACP, Administrator of Population Health and Prescription Management at Desert Oasis Healthcare (DOHC) in Palm Springs, Calif. Valenzuela and her team of 24 pharmacists, three pharmacy residents and many technicians support thousands of patients, most of whom are living with multiple, complex chronic conditions and multiple medication therapies. Valenzuela has implemented an innovative, pharmacist-led personalized care model that provides medication therapy management services and structured care plans to manage disease. As part of this effort, she has pioneered the implementation of digital medicines, which feature FDA-approved ingestible sensors that help her team improve patient care. The 2019 CPIQ Award recipient in the community pharmacy category is Towncrest Pharmacy for its total transformation from a traditional dispensing pharmacy to a practice focused on patient therapeutic outcomes through medication optimization services and collaboration with other care providers. This was accomplished by enhancing the role of technicians, adopting automation, implementing medication synchronization, freeing up the pharmacists to provide patient care services, and creating an efficient and effective documentation system. “Congratulations to Dr. Valenzuela and Towncrest Pharmacy for their creativity and hard work,” PQA CEO Laura Cranston said. “Dr. Valenzuela and her team have developed and implemented sophisticated medication therapy management services that are making a real difference for patients with complex medical needs. Towncrest Pharmacy has demonstrated an incredible commitment to patient-centered care by working with patients and other care providers to optimize medication use and improve outcomes.” Award nominations and their contributions to community pharmacy were evaluated for their innovation, measurable impact, replicability, scalability and reach. Priority areas of focus were practices or programs that addressed vulnerable populations, gaps in quality or patient care and the quadruple aim of healthcare: patient experience, population health, reducing costs and care team well-being. “These awards are a celebration of innovation and progressive practice in community pharmacy, “said Brian Jensen, a CPF Board member and former PQA Board member. “Through the broad uptake of the creative, best practices like those pioneered by Dr. Valenzuela and Towncrest Pharmacy, community pharmacy will ensure its position as a key partner in value-based, patient-centered care.” __________________ Pharmacy Quality Alliance: PQAalliance.org Community Pharmacy Foundation: communitypharmacyfoundation.org ### Contact: Richard Schmitz, PQA Senior Director of Communications, [email protected] or 703-347-7931 |