Partners in D
Partners in D is a California statewide outreach initiative, launched in December 2006, that reaches into the community and provides seniors with one-on-one Medicare Part D counseling. The program targets seniors with low incomes and limited or no English language skills. Behind the scenes, the initiative educates student pharmacists, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals about the intricacies of Part D, giving them the information they need to explain to seniors their Medicare Part D choices and the impact of different coverage options.
A collaboration of many schools
The program is a collaboration among California's 7 schools of pharmacy at:
- University of California, San Francisco
- Loma Linda University
- Touro University, California
- University of California, San Diego
- University of the Pacific
- University of Southern California
- Western University of Health Sciences
Partners in D was originally created by student pharmacists and faculty members at the UCSF School of Pharmacy. The co-principal-investigators of the program areMarilyn Stebbins, PharmD and Helene Levens Lipton, PhD, both faculty members of the School’s Department of Clinical Pharmacy.
Partners in D is funded by a US$3.7 million grant from the Amgen Foundation that will support the program for 3.5 years.
More: Partners in D
Related Link: Pharmacists Clarify the Medicare Part D Fog
What is Medicare Part D?
Known officially as "Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage," Medicare Part D is the new voluntary prescription drug insurance for Americans with Medicare. These include people with disabilities and people age 65 and older.
