Crystal Zhou, Pharm.D., Associate Professor at the UCSF School of Pharmacy and Director of Community-Based Practice Innovation, discusses the Cut Hypertension Program, an innovative initiative designed to bring hypertension care directly to underserved communities throughout the Bay Area of California.

She shares how the program transforms local barbershops into trusted healthcare access points by training barbers as health coaches and connecting patients with pharmacist-led hypertension management services. Dixon and Zhou also discuss the importance of community partnerships, patient engagement, and relationship-building in expanding access to care and improving health outcomes in underserved populations.

Links and resources: 

 * Preferences and Perspectives of Black Male Barbershop Patrons on Receiving Health Care in Nontraditional Settings [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38145054/]
 * Email Dr. Zhou: crystal.zhou@ucsf.edu

Contact CPPI:

 * Email: cppi@vcu.edu
 * CPPI Website
 * Upcoming seminars
 * Subscribe to CPPI to stay up to date with seminars and new resources
 * Follow CPPI on social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube

Expanding access to care through the Cut Hypertension Program with Crystal Zhou, Pharm.D.

Tana Kaefer, Pharm.D., Director of Clinical Services at Bremo Pharmacy, discusses her journey in community pharmacy and her work advancing innovative, patient-centered care.

She shares how her community-based residency helped her integrate clinical practice with business sustainability, and why understanding reimbursement and operational models is essential for expanding pharmacy services. She also discusses strategies for building effective relationships with prescribers, implementing statewide protocols, and overcoming challenges related to reimbursement and patient adoption of new services. Kaefer emphasizes the importance of organizational culture, adaptability, and strong team alignment in driving sustainable innovation in community pharmacy practice.

Links and resources:

 * CPESN Virginia [https://cpesn.com/networks/virginia]
 * bremorx.com [http://bremorx.com/]
 * tana.kaefer@bremorx.com
 * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/BremoRX]
 * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/bremo-pharmacy/posts/?feedView=all] 
 * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/bremorx/]

Contact CPPI:

 * Email: cppi@vcu.edu
 * CPPI Website [https://cppi.pharmacy.vcu.edu/]
 * Upcoming seminars [https://cppi.pharmacy.vcu.edu/seminars/upcoming/]
 * Subscribe [https://mailchi.mp/497570e3f0b7/center-for-pharmacy-practice-innovations] to CPPI to stay up to date with seminars and new resources
 * Follow CPPI on social media: Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/68073865/admin/], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@vcucppi]

Advancing community pharmacy practice through innovation, leadership and sustainable clinical services with Tana Kaefer, Pharm.D.

In this episode, Voices in Pharmacy Innovation is joined by Teresa Salgado Ph.D., associate professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy [https://pharmacy.vcu.edu/] and director of the Center for Pharmacy Practice Innovation (CPPI) [https://cppi.pharmacy.vcu.edu/]. She discusses the growing impact of pharmacy closures across the United States and how the rise of pharmacy deserts is affecting patient access and public health.

Salgado shares insights from her research on barriers to implementing expanded pharmacy services, including workforce constraints, billing challenges, and operational pressures. She also highlights emerging solutions, including the Virginia Medicaid Pharmacist Provider Enrollment Guide developed by CPPI, and discusses opportunities to improve adoption of statewide protocols, enhance reimbursement pathways, and strengthen the role of pharmacists in delivering accessible, community-based care.

Links and resources: 

Request access [https://vcupharmacy.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_82iYyKeyE15OBP8] to the Virginia’s Medicaid Pharmacist Provider Enrollment Guide!

Research: Characterizing pharmacy deserts and designing a model to minimize inequities in pharmacy distribution in Virginia [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39945716/]

Contact CPPI:

 * Email: cppi@vcu.edu
 * CPPI Website [https://cppi.pharmacy.vcu.edu/]
 * Upcoming seminars [https://cppi.pharmacy.vcu.edu/seminars/upcoming/]
 * Subscribe [https://mailchi.mp/497570e3f0b7/center-for-pharmacy-practice-innovations] to CPPI to stay up to date with seminars and new resources
 * Follow CPPI on social media: Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/68073865/admin/], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@vcucppi]

Navigating pharmacy deserts and expanding scope of practice with Teresa Salgado, Ph.D.

In this episode, Voices in Pharmacy Innovation is joined by Marie Smith, Pharm.D., Henry A. Palmer Endowed Professor of Community Pharmacy Practice and assistant dean for practice and public policy partnerships at the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy. The discussion explores progress in integrating pharmacists into primary care and community-based settings, along with barriers that continue to limit widespread adoption.

Smith shares insights from her research on the clinical and economic value of pharmacist services and discusses emerging models such as shared embedded pharmacists, e-consults and remote monitoring. She also highlights the importance of payment reform, implementation strategies and advocacy in advancing pharmacist roles in team-based care.

Links and Resources: 

1. AcademyHealth [https://academyhealth.org/]

Advancing pharmacists’ roles in primary care with Marie Smith, Pharm.D.

In this episode, Voices in Pharmacy Innovation is joined by Sheila Stadler, Pharm.D., a clinical pharmacy specialist with the Cardiac Risk Service at Kaiser Permanente Colorado and clinical assistant professor at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy. In recognition of American Heart Month, their conversation centers on cardiovascular risk reduction and the evolving role of pharmacists in managing hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes and other key risk factors.

Dr. Stadler outlines the evolution of Kaiser’s pharmacist-led cardiovascular risk reduction service and shares a practical framework built on people, process and technology. She highlights how team-based care, smart use of data and telepharmacy tools help pharmacists reach more patients, reduce clinical inertia and deliver measurable improvements in cardiovascular outcomes.

Links and resources:

 1. Mortality reduction benefits of a comprehensive cardiac care program for patients with occlusive coronary artery disease [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17896892/]
 2. Reduced Health Care Expenditures After Enrollment in a Collaborative Cardiac Care Service [https://doi.org/10.1592/phco.30.11.1127]
 3. Using pharmacy technicians and electronic health record capabilities to improve outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disease [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japh.2021.10.014]

People, process and technology in cardiovascular care with Sheila Stadler, Pharm.D.

In the first episode of Voices in Pharmacy Innovation, host Dave Dixon, Pharm.D. talks with Jeffrey Bratberg, Pharm.D., a clinical professor at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy who serves on the executive committee for the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence on Opioids and Overdose. With January being Substance Use Disorder Treatment Month, the conversation focuses on substance use disorder care among pharmacists, expanding access to treatment, reducing stigma and turning policy into practice.

Dr. Bratberg shares his path from infectious disease pharmacy to addiction care and explains why pharmacies are a natural place for people to get help. He discusses the challenges that still exist, like stigma, payment and implementation, but also highlights practical ways pharmacists can start making a difference now.

Links and resources:

 1. Pharmacy Bridge [https://www.pharmacybridge.org/]
 2. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) [https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use/treatment/find-treatment/pharmacist-verification]
 3. Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance use and Addiction (AMERSA) [https://amersa.org/?doing_wp_cron=1766197903.2835850715637207031250]
 4. ASHP Statement on the Pharmacist’s Role in Substance Use Disorder [https://www.ashp.org/-/media/assets/policy-guidelines/docs/statements/pharmacists-role-SUD-prevention-and-recovery.pdf] Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery [https://www.ashp.org/-/media/assets/policy-guidelines/docs/statements/pharmacists-role-SUD-prevention-and-recovery.pdf]
 5. ASHP Podcast - Hot Topics in Pharmacy Practice: Breaking Down ASHP's New Statement on the Pharmacist's Role in Substance Use Disorder [https://www.ashp.org/professional-development/ashp-podcasts/hot-topics-in-pharmacy-practice/2025/breaking-down-ashps-new-statement-on-the-pharmacists-role-in-substance-use-disorder?loginreturnUrl=SSOCheckOnly]

Connect with us and learn more about the VCU School of Pharmacy [https://pharmacy.vcu.edu/] Center for Pharmacy Practice Innovation through our website [https://cppi.pharmacy.vcu.edu/].

Substance use disorder treatment and the evolving role of pharmacists with Jeffrey Bratberg, Pharm.D.

Voices in Pharmacy Innovation is an educational podcast dedicated to highlighting the innovators shaping the future of pharmacy practice. Hosted by Dave Dixon Pharm.D. [https://pharmacy.vcu.edu/directory/dixon-dave.html], professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy [https://pharmacy.vcu.edu/], and member of the Center for Pharmacy Practice Innovation [https://cppi.pharmacy.vcu.edu/], the show brings together pharmacy professionals and health care leaders to share insights, challenges, and real-world strategies for translating research and policy into practice. Through these conversations, listeners gain inspiration and practical tools to advance patient-centered pharmacy care.

Voices in Pharmacy Innovation | Trailer

Voices in Pharmacy Innovation is an educational podcast that aims to amplify the voices of innovators in pharmacy practice, offering insights and strategies to translate research and policy into practice. Join Dave Dixon Pharm.D. [https://pharmacy.vcu.edu/directory/dixon-dave.html], professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy [https://pharmacy.vcu.edu/], and member of the Center for Pharmacy Practice Innovation [https://cppi.pharmacy.vcu.edu/] as he chats with pharmacy professionals and health care leaders about their experiences, challenges and ideas shaping the future of patient-centered pharmacy practice.

VCU School of Pharmacy

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