(346) The Rural Health Initiative: Advancing Pharmacist Care for Rural Communities in Washington State

Objective : The Rural Health Initiative (RHI) has a three-fold goal; first to increase access to pharmacy education for students from rural communities; to prepare pharmacy graduates with the specialized knowledge and skills necessary for effectively serving rural communities; and last, to advance rural pharmacy practice through development and implementation of innovative and sustainable business and care models.

Methods: New pathways into health professions education are developed, including partnerships with technical and community colleges in rural counties. A specialized curricular training track in rural health is developed which includes new coursework, a longitudinal capstone project, and introductory and advanced practice experiences in rural practice. Rural health track students are eligible for scholarships and receive additional mentoring. New, shared faculty positions are created in a variety of practice settings in rural communities throughout the state. These faculty support implementation of new clinical care services and provide rural rotation sites and residency training.

Results: Two cohorts of rural track students have been accepted into the program. The first cohort has identified their capstone projects and will begin interventions and data collection this summer. The first new faculty member is hired for a rural ambulatory care clinic; contracts are underway for partners in behavioral health and community pharmacy. Recruitment for a specialty residency in behavioral health is open.

Conclusions: A multi-pronged approach is necessary to recruit students from rural areas and to prepare them to return to those communities to advance access to pharmacy and pharmacist care.