UH Hilo student pharmacists to help HMSA patients with medication management
The UH Hilo Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy has signed an agreement with HMSA and University Health Partners for students to provide medication therapy management services to high-risk patients.

Student pharmacists at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo will be helping people with chronic diseases manage the multiple prescribed medications they need to take. Medication therapy management involves reviewing a person’s medications to ensure they are being used appropriately, answering drug-related questions, and determining the most cost-effective options.

“The college has signed an agreement with HMSA and University Health Partners to provide medication therapy management services to their high-risk patients by tapping into the specialized expertise of pharmacists,” says Rae Matsumoto, dean of the UH Hilo Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy. “Supervised by faculty members, our most qualified students will be putting their technical knowledge and people skills to work to help patients achieve better outcomes from their medications.”
“This type of work experience puts our students on the forward edge of pharmacy services being offered in healthcare today,” says Matsumoto. “We are very excited to have this opportunity to work with HMSA and University Health Partners, two of the largest healthcare providers within the state, to help in delivering better care to their patients.”

Students will need to apply and interview for the medication therapy management consultant positions, and the paid work will be in addition to their academic studies, explains Camlyn Masuda, UH Hilo associate specialist of pharmacy practice and a coordinator for the new program. She says studies show that using pharmacists to provide the service improves medication adherence and ensures patients are on the appropriate medications and doses.
“Students, working under the supervision of a pharmacist, will have a one-on-one phone conversation with each person about all the medications they are taking, including prescription and over-the-counter medications and supplements,” says Masuda. “They’ll then document the information gathered and any recommendations made and share it with the person’s physician.”
The first students in the program will be hired and start providing the service this fall. The students will work on campus at a center equipped with phones and computers.
