Connecting Veterans to the soonest and best care continues to be a top priority for VA. Since FY17, the Pharmacy Benefits Management (PBM) Clinical Pharmacy Practice Office (CPPO) partnered with the Office of Rural Health (ORH) to launch the Increasing Access to Care for Rural Veterans by Leveraging Clinical Pharmacist Practitioners (CPP) Initiative, otherwise known as the CRVA Initiative. The project focused on increasing access to comprehensive medication management (CMM) and chronic disease management services for the nearly 3 million Veterans who live in rural communities and rely on the VA for their healthcare. CPPs optimize care as advanced practice providers while serving as the medication expert for the team improving Veteran access to care while also reducing burden on primary and specialty care providers by providing CMM, improving panel access, and team efficiency. This multi-year, enterprise-wide initiative (EWI) awarded VA facilities funding to hire, integrate and optimize CPPs performing CMM services as part of collaborative care teams. At the MSG Jerry K Crump VA Clinic in Forest City, NC, part of the Charles George VAMC in Asheville, NC, learn how they leveraged a team approach to providing substance use disorder (SUD) care in a rural primary care setting with Dr. Eric Gibbs, Substance Use Disorder CPP and Dr. Kara Harris, Primary Care CPP. #clinicalpharmacy #SubstanceUseDisorder #rural

Connecting Veterans to the soonest and best care continues to be a top priority for VA. Since FY17, the Pharmacy Benefits Management (PBM) Clinical Pharmacy Practice Office (CPPO) partnered with the Office of Rural Health (ORH) to launch the Increasing Access to Care for Rural Veterans by Leveraging Clinical Pharmacist Practitioners (CPP) Initiative, otherwise known as the CRVA Initiative. The project focused on increasing access to comprehensive medication management (CMM) and chronic disease management services for the nearly 3 million Veterans who live in rural communities and rely on the VA for their healthcare. CPPs optimize care as advanced practice providers while serving as the medication expert for the team improving Veteran access to care while also reducing burden on primary and specialty care providers by providing CMM, improving panel access, and team efficiency. This multi-year, enterprise-wide initiative (EWI) awarded VA facilities funding to hire, integrate and optimize CPPs performing CMM services as part of collaborative care teams. At the Bath VAMC in the Finger Lakes Health Care System, listen to a population health outreach approach to engage a Veteran receiving benzodiazepines and opioids by Dr. Michaela Raes, Substance Use Disorder CPP and Dr. Diana Cowell, Pain Management CPP and Veteran. #ClinicalPharmacy #PainManagement #rural