Brigid Long

Brigid’s Story

Prior to her Pharm.D., Dr. Long earned her B.S. in Chemistry from John Carroll University, Cleveland, OH. She completed her Pharm.D. in 2012 from The Ohio State University (OSU) College of Pharmacy, Columbus, OH. Following her Pharm.D., Dr. Long entered a PGY1/PGY2/MS residency program in community care pharmacy administration at OSU and Kroger Pharmacy in Columbus, OH. She completed her M.S. and residency training at OSU in 2014. Dr. Long is now working for Kroger Pharmacy, Columbus Division as a Pharmacist Care Coordinator, Transitions of Care. Dr. Long currently serves as a member of the Section of Ambulatory Care Practitioners’ Advisory Group on Medication Therapy Management in the Community as well as a CV Reviewer for the New Practitioners Forum.

Facility

The Columbus Division of Kroger Pharmacy is comprised of 121 community pharmacies. Dr. Long oversees the transition of care programs and projects for their 121 pharmacies and over 400 pharmacists. They have pilot programs with a few regional and large medical centers and health systems in which their pharmacists perform medication therapy management services for recently discharged patients. Additionally, they have programs for patients spanning the continuum of care (e.g., 340b partner services offered to those specific patients).

Significant Projects

Most recently, Dr. Long has been involved with a research opportunity to identify the impact of a comprehensive medication review performed by community pharmacists after observation unit discharge from an academic medical center. Dr. Long worked with a pharmacist colleague to create this unique transition of care project, which includes a handoff of visit information from emergency medicine pharmacists to community pharmacists. The emergency medicine pharmacists enroll the patient, create a discharge summary, and fax the summary to the community pharmacist. The community pharmacist then schedules and conducts a comprehensive medication review with the patient within 14 days of discharge. This project is on-going, with results pending.

Advice for Someone New to Your Specialty Area

“First, network! It sounds very cliché, but it is truly the only way to get your name out there to other providers about the skills and services offered by pharmacists. In my area of transitions of care specifically, I have established new relationships with other pharmacist and non-pharmacist practitioners that remember me and then refer others to me for questions about community pharmacists’ involvement in transitions of care. Second, read and absorb as much as you can. There are new ideas, projects, and outcomes regarding transitions of care in newsletters, journals, and news briefs regularly. It is important to learn as much as possible when you want to make something a specialty area.”

Involvement in ASHP

“I want to ensure that our pharmacy profession continues to grow and evolve. One way to do this is by actively participating in local, state, and national pharmacy organizations. I decided to participate in ASHP because I want to have an opportunity to be a part of this evolution and growth.”

ASHP’s Value to Members

“ASHP provides structure, guidance, and resources to develop yourself as a practitioner and to develop your practice. Additionally, it provides vital networking opportunities for practitioners from across the country. ASHP is a voice for pharmacy on the national level.”