American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) teens and preteens have the highest rate of newly diagnosed diabetes among all races and are more likely to have complications or die from the disease. AI/AN adults are 2.3 times as likely as non-Hispanic whites to develop diabetes. The type 2 diabetes rate among adults on the Yakama Nation reservation in the state of Washington is double than the rest of the state.
The Yakama Indian Health Service has created the Yakama Healthy Heart Program (YHHP), the only demonstration project to rely on clinical pharmacists. In YHHP, patients schedule appointments with their pharmacists that coincide with medication refill due dates.
The program enables medical providers to establish agreements with pharmacists to prescribe and adjust medication for the treatment of diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, order laboratory results give immunizations, refer patients to specials, and perform brief physicals and foot exams.
The Yakama Indian Health Service learned from implementing YHHP:
- Pharmacists can help provide quality care to patients with diabetes
- Yakama patients responded favorably to case management visits with pharmacists since it is easy to access their pharmacist for any medication issues
- Pharmacists reported enhanced job satisfaction and stronger relationships with patients when they were allowed to practice to the fullest extent of their training
- Pharmacists can be critical collaborators in patient-centered medical home models
For more information on the Yakama Healthy Heart Program, email Robin.John@ihs.gov.