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THE FUTURE OF PHARMACY

INTERNATIONAL PHARMACY JOURNAL

This article highlights a pilot study conducted with an agree- ment between The Taiwan Pharmacist Association and the Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI). The high users of outpatient visits were identified by the BNHI in eight cities located at North and South part of Taiwan. Pharmacist were trained by 31-hour course works, five internship case studies with written report writing and oral case presentations in order to be qualified to conduct the patient care practice. Forty-two pharmacists spent an average of 8.3 months taking care of 808 individuals and they were able to decrease UIFOVNCFSPGPVUQBUJFOUDMJOJDWJTJUCZ EFDSFBTFUIF UPUBMPVUQBUJFOUIFBMUIDBSFFYQFOEJUVSFCZoBCPVU NT$12,660,552 – and decrease the total outpatient medicines expenditure by NT$4,667,816. With the reimbursing of NT$3,850,000 to pharmacists and saving of NT$12,660,552 from outpatient expenditures, the cost-benefit ratio resulted in a significant 1:3.3. The results made the advisory commit- tee of the BNHI suggest a continuation of the project and to have the service expanded to the whole island of China- Taiwan the second year with four times the increase in budget to pharmacists.

HOME PHARMACEUTICAL CARE FOR HIGH USERS OF OUTPATIENT SERVICES IN CHINA-TAIWAN

Yen-Huei Tarn, Meng-lin L. Lin