Following its promotion to all faculty and staff at the annual benefits meetings held in November 2003, the School of Pharmacy initiated a new program in Diabetes Care for Campbell University employees, and their dependents. The program is patterned after a successful project conducted for a major employer in Asheville, NC, which resulted in better control of the employees' diabetes, fewer hospitalizations and sick days, and a reduction in health care costs for the employer. This was accomplished because each participant was linked to a specially trained clinical pharmacist who took responsibility for improving the participant's care. Our objective is to improve the health outcomes of Campbell University employees and their dependents with diabetes, and to reduce the University's health benefit costs related to this disease. Campbell University will provide this program for qualifying health plan members, utilizing the services of select School of Pharmacy faculty.

During the benefits meetings, each participant was given an interest form to be completed by the employee or dependent. Initially, 35 forms were returned. A meeting was then held for these individuals to give them more specific information on program objectives, benefits, and participant responsibilities. As a result, 26 people enrolled in the program and were assigned to one of three School of Pharmacy faculty members. Since then, another four employees have enrolled and are being seen.

Each enrollee is assigned a faculty pharmacist to see on campus on a monthly or as-needed basis. A key feature of this program is that participants are reimbursed the amount spent for the co-pay for each diabetes-related prescription obtained during the program dates. This has been made possible by the use of grant funds for this pilot project. We hope that the success of this project will encourage additional University and outside support.

As we have approached the end of the first program year, patient data is currently being evaluated in accordance with our stated objectives.