# Presentation: 715807

## USPHS Pharmacist Readiness Training Program (PRTP)

- CAPT Mike Montello
- CDR Laura Pincock

- 11/24/08

## Background

- Preparedness Training is a _Requirement_
- Katrina After Action Report; S3678 Pandemic and All Health Hazards Preparedness Act; National Response Framework (NRF); National Incident Management System (NIMS)
- HHS OIG Findings – Current readiness training insufficient
- PPM 07-001, Extension of Manual Circular 377
- FY’07 - 87% of Pharmacists meet _or exceed_ OFRD Basic Readiness standards
- Questions
- How to close the remaining gap?
- Where do we go from here? (i.e. approach, format, resources, topics)

## Proposal 

- Develop and Implement a Pharmacist Readiness Training Program (PRTP) consistent with:
- OFRD & Transformation Life-Cycle training initiatives
- NRF Requirements

## Objective of Program

- Increase and enhance the readiness and preparedness skills of _all_ PHS pharmacists
- By extension, improve readiness of PHS and our Nation
- Balance requirements of
- Federal guidelines for response training with
- Unique requirements of Commissioned Corps
- 24 of 27 missions NOT under ESF8 in FY’08
- Provide a model for other PHS categories and civilians
- Consistent with OFRD, ASPR & Transformation training initiatives

## OFRD Mega-Competencies

- (4) Core Multi-disciplinary Mega-Competencies
- Personal character; Communication; Mental agility; Cultural awareness.
- (2) Category Specific Mega-Competencies
- Preeminent Field Skills
- Professional Astuteness
- Mega-competencies include multi-tiered experience levels
- Not demonstrated; Novice; Knowledgeable; Proficient; Expert

## Initial PRTP Workgroup Approach 

- _Curriculum Centric_
- Target OFRD Category Specific Mega-competencies
- Preeminent Field Skills & Professional Astuteness
- Identify/Develop
- Basic Tenets of Program (Balanced, Comprehensive, Flexible, Incentives)
- Nomenclature to describe curriculum
- Challenges to implementation
- General training categories & topics

## Developed a solution without clearly identifying the need

- Skipped 1st step: Must identify Pharmacist Roles and Competencies before we build a Curriculum

## Pharmacist Readiness RolesGeneral Concepts

- Limited to Pharmacy Centric Roles
- Did NOT include multi-disciplinary roles that pharmacists might have skills to fill
- Developed Clinical and Non-clinical positions
- Readiness roles often based on ‘traditional’ pharmacist roles (i.e. Ambulatory Care)
- Some Readiness roles are truly unique
- WMD/Pandemic Pharmacist

## What’s the difference between a ‘Traditional’ and a ‘Readiness’ Pharmacist?

- Readiness Pharmacists must consider ‘Crisis Factors’ (CF) such as:
- Narrow and/or evolving formularies;
- Exacerbation of adverse reaction risk;
- Reduced patient compliance;
- Limited access to diagnostic and monitoring tools;
- Providers working out of area of expertise;
- Prepare for the unexpected.

## Pharmacist Readiness Clinical Roles

- Types:
- Ambulatory Care Readiness Pharmacist
- Entry level – equivalent to National Response Framework (‘Pharmacist’)
- Pharmacotherapy Readiness Pharmacist
- Critical Care Readiness Pharmacist
- Relationship between Pharmacist Readiness Clinical roles:
- Natural progression between clinical roles but each role should be considered independently

## Pharmacist Readiness ‘Other’ Roles

- Types:
- WMD/Pandemic Readiness Pharmacist
- Pharmacy Readiness Logistician
- Pharmacist Readiness Manager
- No relationship between Pharmacist Readiness ‘Other’ roles.
- Pharmacist Readiness Manager should have a general understanding of all Pharmacist Readiness roles

## Each Pharmacist Readiness role includes:

- Description of duties
- Typical practice setting
- Competencies necessary to fulfill role
- Proficiency level required to be both minimally and fully qualified
*Consider adding a mid-level proficiency *
*	**(i.e. > minimal but < fully qualified)*

## Competency Categories

- Clinical
- Operations
- Communication
- Public Health
- Management

## Next Steps

- Independent review of both:
- Original ‘Curriculum Centric’ proposal
- New ‘Roles and Competencies’ proposal
- Link proposals.
- Bridge curriculum to competencies (i.e., which training program is geared towards which competency)
- Develop short and long range implementation plan
- Develop transition plan (i.e., Rules to ‘Grandfather’ current officers)
- Continue to collaborate with OFRD and Transformation
- Identify new PRTP Champions

## Questions/Comments?

- _[montellom@mail.nih.gov](mailto:montellom@mail.nih.gov)_
_**laura.pincock@fda.hhs.gov**_