ANN ARBOR PHARMACIST RECIEVES INNOVATION AWARD

Hae Mi Choe will receive the 2004 Innovative Pharmacy Practice Award from the Michigan Pharmacists Association (MPA) during the association's Annual Convention & Exposition, held Feb. 27-29 at the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn, Mich.

To be deserving of this award, which is sponsored by Elan Biopharmaceuticals, a pharmacist must demonstrate an innovative pharmacy practice program that results in improved patient care.
Hae Mi Choe, a 1993 Pharm.D. graduate of the University of California, San Francisco was hired in 1999 by the University of Michigan (U of M) College of Pharmacy to establish a clinical pharmacy practice at a U of M-affiliated health center to optimize diabetes care. Choe became the first pharmacist to receive privileges through the medical staff credentials committee, and developed and implemented Diabetes Management Services (DMS) at the health center.

DMS began as a pilot study utilizing a control group versus an intervention group. The intervention group routinely saw a clinical pharmacist to receive pharmacotherapy, diabetes self-management education and routine diabetes complication screening through clinic visits and telephone follow-up, while the control group continued with their routine care. The results of the study proved that direct pharmacist involvement with patients optimizes diabetes care. Subsequently, the transition of the program to official practice development started, and has since expanded to accommodate two additional clinics and will be branching out to other healthcare centers through a hospital-wide diabetes quality improvement project. This project will greatly increase the awareness and visibility of the pharmacist's role in patient-focused care so embodied by this award.

In addition to her clinical pharmacist role, Choe, who is a certified diabetes educator, is currently Clinical Assistant Professor for the U of M College of Pharmacy, and for the past two years was a finalist for their Excellence in Teaching Award.

The MPA, serving over 3,500 pharmacy professionals, strives to be a leader in professional and scientific advancement by following its mission of encouraging and supporting its members as the professionals responsible for the delivery of patient-oriented pharmaceutical care.

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