The Ohio Pharmacists Association (OPA) has been awarded a $2 million grant from the Ohio Department of Health to lead the Rural Health Transformation Pharmacy Initiative. This Year 1 funding, provided through the federally supported Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), is designed to improve health outcomes in rural communities by integrating pharmacies into the state’s broader healthcare infrastructure.
The initiative targets rural areas where residents frequently face higher rates of obesity, smoking-related illnesses, diabetes, heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These challenges are compounded by ongoing shortages of mental health professionals, dentists, and primary care providers.
Core Goals of the Rural Pharmacy Network
The OPA aims to establish a sustainable statewide network to enhance healthcare system efficiency, medication safety, and patient outcomes. The strategy focuses on three primary objectives:
- Integrating pharmacies into the wider healthcare system.
- Expanding clinical services led by pharmacists.
- Connecting pharmacies to CliniSync, which serves as Ohio’s health information exchange.
OPA Collaborates with Stakeholders to Guide Program
To guide the program, the OPA will collaborate with a variety of stakeholders, including Medicaid managed care organizations, the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy, federally qualified health centers, health systems, and the Council of Ohio Colleges of Pharmacy. The OPA also plans to work with patient representatives, rural healthcare providers, and CliniSync Health Information Exchange to launch and evaluate the program.
As part of this effort, the OPA will conduct a needs assessment across 73 Ohio counties to evaluate clinical training priorities, technology readiness, workflow needs, and staffing capabilities. The initiative intends to expand pharmacist-provided services such as point-of-care treatment and testing, remote physiologic monitoring, medication safety interventions, and chronic disease management.
Initial Funding Supports Connected Care in Rural Ohio
Myriam Shaw Ojeda, OPA Director of Pharmacy Extension and Public Health Initiatives, stated that the initiative provides an opportunity to
learn directly from our members and help build the support needed for pharmacists to provide more connected care across rural Ohio.
While the program begins with approximately $2 million in initial funding, there is the possibility of additional funding extensions spanning two years.
