Pharmacist in central Appalachia addresses the problems that hit her community hardest

Very interesting article that addresses a number of aspects regarding the physical and mental health challenges in rural Appalachia.

http://www.pharmacist.com/pharmacist-central-appalachia-addresses-problems-hit-her-community-hardest
Pharmacist in central Appalachia addresses the problems that hit her community hardest
May 01, 2014

Nearly 70% of adults with a mental health condition also have a medical condition, such as diabetes, heart disease, or respiratory disease, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Presence of one condition is often a risk factor for the other. Among people with mental illness, medication adherence is often less than 50%—similar to rates among people who don’t have mental illness, though the consequences can be more severe. The high rates of comorbidities and nonadherence among people with mental illness point to a special need for pharmacists’ patient care services in this population.

Sarah Melton, PharmD, BCPP, BCACP, CGP, FASCP, has built her career around caring for patients with mental illness and opioid addiction in the Appalachian region of Virginia and Tennessee. Melton, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the East Tennessee State University (ETSU) Gatton College of Pharmacy, provides patient care at nurse-run Johnson City Community Health Center in Tennessee and at HighPower, PC, in Lebanon, VA.

Finding her niche

When Melton came to work at Johnson City Community Health Center, which is operated by ETSU’s College of Nursing, she saw a need. Run by nurse practitioners, the clinic offers pediatric care, family medicine, midwifery, and behavioral health services. While Melton consults with nurse practitioners and patients in all of these areas, she noticed that the behavioral health nurse practitioner was extremely backlogged and hadn’t been able to take a new patient in more than a year...

...As there’s a 6-month wait to see a psychiatrist in the region surrounding HighPower, Melton serves as a bridge to psychiatry; in some cases, her interventions may eliminate the need for a psychiatric appointment.... MORE