As an experienced professional with a wide range of skills, Omnicare Consultant Pharmacists are valued members of a facility's interdisciplinary team, helping them to achieve optimal outcomes for their residents - and their bottom line.

Consultant Pharmacist service begins with an introductory meeting with key staff members. Armed with a thorough understanding of the facility's unique needs, the consultant is able to provide a tailored program that encompasses the educational, regulatory and cost-containment concerns of the facility while assuring appropriate medication therapy for each resident.

Every Consultant Pharmacist visit includes one-on-one time with key leadership before and after the consulting session to ensure that critical information is shared and addressed promptly.

Medication Management

The needs of the elderly are complex and unique. As an expert in geriatric medication management, Omnicare Consultant Pharmacists receive some of the most extensive training in the industry. This training supports the consultant's ability to identify potential overuse, misuse, and underuse of medications and to suggest changes that optimize outcomes. Our consultant's approach to clinical and cost-saving therapeutic interventions is further guided by two proprietary resources, including:

• Omnicare's Geriatric Pharmaceutical Care Guidelines
  Recognized as a leading formulary and clinical reference manual for long term care, the Guidelines are endorsed by the American Geriatrics Society. This comprehensive clinical manual ranks medications commonly used in long term care as clinically Preferred, Acceptable or Unacceptable. The 2012 edition of the Omnicare Geriatric Pharmaceutical Care Guidelines^®is now available online. Users have the option of reading online or creating their own compilation of items from one or several monographs as a PDF file for printing. The Omnicare Guidelines® are formatted for compatibility with iPads, MACs, and Microsoft operating systems with plans to offer a mobile application in 2013.
  
  
• The Omnicare System for Clinical and Cost Outcomes Retrieval (OSC20R)
  This state-of-the-art clinical decision support software program is fully integrated with Omnicare's pharmacy dispensing computer system, allowing consultants to further identify potential clinical, regulatory and cost-containment opportunities.

Cost Containment

To help facilities contain costs, Consultant Pharmacists identify trends and provide reports on medication utilization and cost savings. For example, on a regular basis a consultant will provide the facility with progress reports on formulary implementation with a tool known as the Formulary Savings Spreadsheet. This report shows formulary-driven cost savings as well as uncaptured cost savings opportunities in the area of formulary compliance, providing a tangible measure of the value that both the Omnicare Consultant Pharmacist and the Omnicare Pharmacy bring to the facility.

Regulatory Compliance

Providing assistance with regulatory compliance is a key component of Omnicare's consulting program, and our Consultant Pharmacists work to address specific areas of concern at facilities by:

• Reviewing Quality Indicator/Quality Measure reports
• Identifying medication issues and trends
• Providing survey preparation and support
• Developing and implementing action plans
• Improving the safety and health of residents and enhancing staff capability through comprehensive clinical education programs