Bellefontaine pharmacist goes above and beyond the call of duty to protect her community

In the wake of COVID-19, pharmacists across Ohio are helping in their communities in a variety of ways, from providing safe access to medications to finding unique care solutions for the patients they serve. Kacey Adams, a consultant pharmacist in Bellefontaine, is serving her community in a different manner.

In addition to working as a consultant pharmacist, Adams is volunteering her time at the Logan County Health District multiple times a week. At the local health department, Adams joins a nurse in answering calls, triaging local members who display symptoms of COVID-19, and providing general public health information and resources. With the wide array of information that is available about COVID-19 to the general public, there is confusion with the public, and the local health department and the Ohio Department of Health are available to answer questions people have.

The calls that Adams answers range from general information about COVID-19, to local providers calling to ask about best cleaning practices, to the public calling about when to go to their doctor versus going to the emergency room. The local health department is utilizing social media to inform the pubic about the services that they are offering during the pandemic to offset the calls that local providers are receiving from their patients.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, patients who believed they needed the COVID-19 test were asked a series of questions to determine if they qualified for the test. These questions included:

• Do you have a fever over 100.4⁰F?
• Do you have a cough?
• Do you have a history of asthma or COPD?

If the patient answered yes to the questions concerning fever and cough, then they were asked to call their primary care physician for more follow-up questions before going to the emergency department to receive the COVID-19 test. If the patient does not meet the criteria, they are told to stay at home and monitor their symptoms. As the CDC guidelines change, the Logan County Health District changes the questions they ask.

Adams is also working with the Logan County Chamber of Commerce to help small business. With the current pandemic, local businesses have been going through a litany of changes, and many are struggling to stay afloat. Adams, along with other prominent members of Logan County, are working on solutions to help local businesses. Adams is taking charge in assessing the community and business needs of the community. Her hope is to build a model that other rural communities can use to raise the prominence of local business in the community.

“People are relying on each other to work though this pandemic” said Adams.

Across Ohio, thousands of pharmacists like Kasey Adams are practicing in many different types of practice settings to answer the call and rise to the challenge of combating the COVID-19 pandemic and maximizing patient outcomes. As one of the most underutilized and overlooked health professionals, pharmacists have the training and expertise to make a significant impact on patient lives, but because of antiquated and decades-old federal laws that have disincentivized their use, many are left on the sidelines at times when they are needed most.

At a federal level, pharmacists lack what’s typically referred to as “provider status,” which inhibits their ability to provide needed care to our nation’s seniors and also limits their access to personal protective equipment (PPE) amid the pandemic. At the state level, an Ohio “provider status” law went into effect in April 2019 to help better utilize pharmacists on the health care team, but state officials have not yet taken the steps necessary to activate the law’s provisions.

The Ohio Pharmacists Association (OPA) is working to ensure that pharmacists can have the same recognition and protections as other health care providers, so that they can be better utilized during ordinary – and extraordinary – circumstances. Pharmacists are an important tool in the healthcare toolbox, and it’s imperative that they are deployed to meet our greatest healthcare challenges. For more information about COVID-19 and the role of pharmacists, visit OPA’s dedicated coronavirus resources page.