2021 Incentive Grant Recipients

2021 Incentive Grant Recipient: Dara Nguyen, PharmD

Residents and their Preceptors

 

Project Proposal: Impact of Motivational Interviewing Skills Training on Technician-Completed Medication Synchronization Enrollment

Dara Nguyen, PharmD, currently serves as the PGY1 Community Pharmacy Resident at Western University of Health Sciences, College of Pharmacy in collaboration with Ralphs Pharmacy in Pomona, California.

The evolving profession of pharmacy has opened opportunities for pharmacy technicians to positively impact patient care, and we explore that by examining how motivational interviewing-trained technicians can affect medication synchronization rates and open up more time for pharmacists to focus on clinical services.

There is a lot of opportunity for pharmacy technicians to become more involved with patient care and enhance the patient care process. Empowering technicians to develop strong relationships with patients by equipping them with motivational interviewing skills can potentially positively impact medication synchronization rates and thus medication adherence. Additionally, this is a great way to expand technician roles and allow both technicians and pharmacists to practice at the top of their licenses.

The profession of pharmacy has so much potential to positively impact patient care and public health. With recent changes in legislation that broaden pharmacists’ scope of practice, I’m excited to find creative ways to strengthen pharmacy teams and enhance public visibility of pharmacy services. This grant will allow us to focus on improving pharmacy workflow and allow pharmacists to dedicate their time to provide high-quality clinical care.