American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy publishes "Comprehensive specialty pharmacist support for HIV post-exposure prophylaxis in a health system-based emergency department setting," by Daniel Jude, PharmD, AAHIVP, CSP. Read a Q&A about Dr. Jude's research.

February 2023

The prestigious American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy (AJHP) recently published a manuscript from one of our clinical pharmacists, Daniel Jude, PharmD, AAHIVP, CSP. Dr. Jude’s paper, “Comprehensive specialty pharmacist support for HIV post-exposure prophylaxis in a health system–based emergency department setting," is now in the public domain.

AJHP publishes groundbreaking study demonstrating specialty pharmacy teams improve HIV post-exposure prophylaxis in the ED.

Below is a Q&A session with Dr. Jude to gain insights into his groundbreaking work.

CPS: Congratulations, Dr. Jude! Seeing your research in print is undoubtedly a significant milestone. How are you feeling about it?

DR. JUDE: Thank you! I’m feeling very appreciative. This research advances health equity and enhances care for underserved populations. My hope is that our insights will help many individuals: From specialty teams and physicians to patients and their loved ones.

CPS: Some of our newer readers may not be familiar with your research. Could you please tell us about the study and explain its significance for specialty pharmacy practice?

DR. JUDE: Certainly.

• About the study: The study investigated the impact of integrating specialty pharmacy services into an ED experience, focusing on individuals who may have been exposed to the HIV virus. We introduced a novel electronic health record (EHR) alert, which helped specialty pharmacy and emergency department (ED) teams collaborate to better support these patients.

• The findings: The learnings demonstrate pharmacist-initiated linkage to care can enhance outcomes for patients undergoing HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). The research also underscores the vital role health system specialty pharmacy teams play in supporting EDs with HIV prevention and medication therapy.

• The significance: The study is significant for a few reasons:

  • It illustrates how specialty pharmacy teams can streamline the medication therapy journey for HIV PEP patients. Leveraging our expertise in specialty conditions and medications-- coupled with direct access to patients, providers, and the EHR--enables us to significantly enhance patient care within this context.

  • It sheds light on the many ways specialty pharmacies can address health disparities. The research stemmed from a gap we recognized in the ED, which we believed specialty pharmacy services could fill. This work demonstrates how our teams can improve access to medications and care services for underserved populations.

This study demonstrates how specialty pharmacy teams improve access to medications and care services for underserved populations.

CPS: Have there been any developments since our last conversation?

DR. JUDE: We’ve continued to see encouraging results.

We conducted more interventions and heard from patients who appreciate having more support. The specialty pharmacy teams have even helped several individuals sign up for insurance coverage for the first time. 

We’ve also seen more hospitals and health systems consider similar programs to cater to their patients’ needs. Our hope is that this paper serves as a catalyst for meaningful action. The proof of concept now stands on its own feet and could readily be applied to other programs with urgent needs. Any health system with an ED can create a similar program, and pharmacy services help to bridge care gaps and improve community health.

Any health system can use specialty pharmacy services to bridge care gaps, enhance care, and improve community health.

CPS: What's next?

DR. JUDE: I’m excited about the work ahead in clinic. I specialize in HIV, and we’re always looking for ways to help patients. Currently, we’re discussing trends around HIV and aging. It will be rewarding to continue to investigate how specialty pharmacy teams can continue to better support patients and promote screenings and optimal outcomes.

CPS: Bravo! Thank you again for joining us, Dr. Jude. Where can people learn more?

DR. JUDE: Thank you! Here's where people can learn more:

• Read the manuscript in AJHP.
• Hear more about our research in Pharmacy Practice News.

I also encourage our readers to follow our clinical outcomes program at CPS for new research and updates from our specialty pharmacy network.

# # #