(D02C) Strengthening the Sustainability and Long-Term Viability of Pharmacy-Based DSMES and DPP Programs

This research session describes a pharmacy-based implementation initiative in partnership with the Ohio Department of Health that aims to improve patient health outcomes, drive positive business results, and advance the profession of pharmacy. Community pharmacies are often the most accessible point of care for people living with or at risk for diabetes, yet they are rarely utilized as delivery sites for evidence-based diabetes education and prevention programs. In Ohio, this gap is pronounced in rural and Appalachian communities where diabetes prevalence is high, and access to accredited Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) and National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) services is limited. Attendees will learn about implementation strategies that support the establishment of pharmacy-based clinical services capable of billing across insurance types, including approaches to medical plan enrollment and credentialing for pharmacists, documentation workflows aligned with billing requirements, and integration into existing referral and care coordination pathways. The session will also describe how sustainability planning was embedded into program design through patient identification strategies, referral volume planning, and reimbursement modeling. By examining operational, workforce, and billing considerations alongside clinical program development, this session highlights practical approaches for sustaining community pharmacies as integrated sites of DSMES and National DPP within broader care delivery systems.

Complete list of authors of the research with names, credentials, and institutional affiliations (a list of authors of the research, not a list of presenters).: Zarah Mayewski, PharmD, Innovation Horizons LLC
Melanie Plotke, PharmD, Innovation Horizons LLC
Tara Pfund, PharmD, Innovation Horizons LLC

List all sources of funding for your research: Ohio Department of Health via The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention