Pharmacists and Prescribers as a Team

Controlled substance stewardship, much in the same vein as antimicrobial stewardship, is a professional obligation for prescribers and pharmacists alike in today’s practice environment. This presentation will introduce this concept and present a model for pharmacist-led controlled substance prescribing interventions in a primary care clinic. The Controlled Substances Initiative (CSI) at Penobscot Community Health Care in Bangor, Maine, was implemented in 2013. The interprofessional CSI Committee meets weekly to review patient cases involving controlled substances and communicate best practice recommendations to prescribers. All committee operations are sustained by pharmacists participating in a postgraduate residency training program. To assess the organization-wide impact of the initiative, presenters will share data on controlled substance dose reductions and mortality trends. They will offer pearls for application of this model to other practice settings, including community pharmacies.