Center For Pharmacy Care

The Center for Pharmacy Care participates in Duquesne University’s Wellness in Motion Program, a healthy lifestyle program offered to employees enrolled in a Duquesne University medical plan. Select Wellness in Motion activities are accessible through the Center for Pharmacy Care and the Center for Integrative Health.

Both University medical plans offer customized wellness programs and provide their own online wellness platforms:

• Highmark Healthy Rewards 
• UPMC Health Plan's HealthyU Platform

Each healthy activity, such as biometric screenings, online health assessment, and participation in various online coaching programs, has a corresponding Wellness in Motion dollar value. Visit the benefits website for additional healthy activities.

Eligibility:
To be eligible to participate in the Wellness in Motion program, you and your eligible spouse must be active members of a Duquesne University medical plan.

Rewards:

• Employees may earn up to $300 in Wellness in Motion dollars
• Eligible spouses may earn up to $300 in Wellness in Motion dollars

Healthy Activities available through the Center for Pharmacy Care:

• Biometric Screening
  • Blood cholesterol and glucose analysis,
  • Blood pressure assessment
  • Body composition analysis
• Update your Vaccinations
• Medication Therapy Management
• Chronic Disease Programs 

The Medication Therapy Management program offers free prescriptions for eligible employees and spouses for the following conditions upon completion of an initial comprehensive health assessment:

• High Cholesterol
• Diabetes
• High Blood Pressure
• Chronic Pain Management
• Depression
• Asthma* 
  • Reduced copayment for dependents 

Participants Receive:

• An initial health assessment; you will be responsible for making any follow-up appointments. Employees must be seen yearly at minimum to maintain enrollment in the program
• Comprehensive review of all your medications
• A personalized medication treatment plan
• Education and training to enhance your understanding of medication use
• Coordination of the medication therapy management services with your other health care providers to ensure your best outcomes
• No copay for prescriptions as listed above
• Wellness in Motion dollars upon enrollment, completion and follow-up with the MTM program

Eligibility:

• Employees and spouses with Highmark or UPMC EPO plans
  • Due to Affordable Care Act regulations, employees with a high deductible health plan are not eligible for the zero copay, however they are still eligible for education and counseling

Immunizations are available on campus at the Center for Pharmacy Care or through Duquesne. Staying up to date on your vaccinations is a lifelong, life-protecting job. For a list of recommended vaccinations, please speak with a pharmacist at the Center for Pharmacy Care, a healthcare provider, or visit cdc.gov/vaccines.

CDC-recommended vaccinations available at the Center for Pharmacy Care:

• COVID-19
• Chickenpox (Varicella)
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
• Influenza
• Japanese Encephalitis
• Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)
• Meningitis ACWY
• Meningitis B
• Pneumonia
• Polio
• Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
• Shingles (Herpes Zoster)
• Tetanus, Diphtheria + Acellular Pertussis (Tdap)
• Typhoid (Injection & Oral)
• Yellow Fever

The Center for Pharmacy Care offers point of care testing services where results are obtained in the same visit. Point of care tests are accessible, rapid and provide reliable results that can aid in the identification and monitoring of chronic conditions. 

Blood Glucose Screening
Glucometers are used to report current blood sugar level. This value allows us to check  impaired glucose readings that may indicate prediabetes or diabetes. It also allows for the monitoring of those already diagnosed with diabetes.

Blood Pressure Assessments 
With the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular disease it is more important than ever to have your blood pressure regularly assessed. Measuring your blood pressure and keeping a record of the measurements will show you and your doctor how much your blood pressure may change. Your doctor can use your record of measurements to see how well your medicine is working to control your high blood pressure. Also, measuring your own blood pressure is a good way to take part in managing your own health and recognizing changes.

Body Composition Analysis 
The Tanita Body Composition Analyzer provides patient values for Body Mass Index, Body Fat, Basal Metabolic Rate, Total Body Water, Fat Mass, and Free Fat Mass. It also gives individualized desirable ranges. You and the pharmacists can discuss your weight loss goals and lifestyle changes based on your results.

Cholesterol Screening 
At our facility, a single finger prick can provide a wealth of information about your health. We measure total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, and glucose in a single fasting test. These levels help us to determine your risk level for developing cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Already have a diagnosis? It's even more important for you to get these levels checked regularly to assess the effectiveness of your current treatment.

Hemoglobin A1C 
For patients who are at risk for developing diabetes or are already diagnosed, this test can provide a picture of your blood sugar control over the past few months. Our pharmacists can then offer counseling on what you should continue doing and what you can change to get an optimum level.

Osteoporosis Screening 
Lunar Achilles Express measures the bone density of the heel used as a screening tool to assess risk for osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a disease where bones become fragile and more likely to break or fracture due to loss of bone density. This tool is used for screening purposes only and does not replace a DEXA scan. 

Diabetes Prevention Program

The Center for Pharmacy Care partners with the Center for Integrative Health to provide the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) to the Duquesne University Community. The NDPP “Prevent T2” curriculum is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognized, evidence-based lifestyle change program which has shown to cut the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58%. The NDPP program is designed for people who have prediabetes or are at risk for type 2 diabetes, but who do not already have diabetes, and supports healthy eating and physical activity interventions. Any eligible resident of Allegheny County can participate. Participation is no cost.

Key Components:

• Standardized curriculum
• Giveaways to support weight loss
• Trained team of interdisciplinary lifestyle coaches to help set goals, learn new skills, and keep you motivated.
• A support group of people with similar goals and challenges.

Program Length: 1 Year

• During the first 6 months of the program, you will meet about once a week.
• During the second 6 months, you’ll meet once or twice a month.

Patient Responsibilities:

• Attend all classes (combination of meeting in-person and via zoom)
• Contribute to the group discussion
• Track body weight weekly
• Track minutes of physical activity weekly (tools will be provided to assist with tracking, i.e. scales, fitness trackers, pedometers, etc.)

Learning Outcomes:

• Eat healthy without giving up all the foods you love
• Add physical activity to your life, even if you don’t think you have time
• Deal with stress
• Cope with challenges that can derail your hard work—like how to choose healthy food when eating out
• Get back on track if you stray from your plan—because everyone slips now and then
• Enhance the skills you’ve learned so you can maintain the changes you’ve made

Curriculum:

• The PreventT2 curriculum promotes weight loss (5-7%) and increased physical activity through a 12-month lifestyle change program
• Incorporates new literature on self-efficacy, physical activity, and diet.
• See a list of topics covered throughout the program listed below

Eligibility:

Must meet all of the following:

• 18 yrs old+
• BMI >/= 25
• NOT diagnosed with Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes
• Not currently pregnant

Must meet at least one of the following:

• High risk result (>5) on a prediabetes risk test – Take the risk test to find out if you are at risk
• Previously diagnosed with gestational diabetes (during pregnancy)
• Had a blood test result in the prediabetes range within the past year (includes any of these tests and results):
• Hemoglobin A1C: 5.7–6.4%.
• Fasting plasma glucose: 110–125 mg/dL.
• 2-hour plasma glucose (after a 75 g glucose load): 140–199 mg/dL.

Class Details

• Group Zoom meeting.
• Zoom link and calendar invites will be created for all virtual meetings and emailed prior to meeting date
• Reach out to Shannon Shaffer, Program Director, at shaffers3@duq.edu for upcoming dates or to request additional program information.

Self-Monitoring Blood Pressure Program
The Center for Integrative health offers a Self-Monitoring Blood Pressure Program Developed by the American Heart Association for no cost to community members. This program educates participants on target blood pressure, how to use a home blood pressure cuff, frequency of monitoring, mental and emotional wellbeing, physical activity, and nutrition. This program is offered virtually and in person.  Please reach out to Shannon Shaffer at shaffers3@duq.edu for more information.

The Center for Pharmacy Care’s travel health program offers adult travelers health consultations and immunizations tailored to your travel destination. Our pharmacists are trained in travel health to provide travel care to the Duquesne University community. 

Services Include:

Pre-Travel Health Consultations: 
Pre-travel appointments will include an assessment of what vaccines are needed, education on the prevention and treatment of illnesses while traveling, and assistance with obtaining necessary medications.

• Review of travel itinerary
• Review of routine, recommended and required immunizations
• Review of medications including recommendations about additional medications needed for travel 
• Patient education for travel
• Preventative and self – treatment guidance in the event of illness 

Immunizations:
Routine Vaccinations: Evaluation and recommendation of routine vaccinations needed (Example: Tetanus or Influenza)

Recommended Vaccinations: Recommendations for vaccinations to protect you specifically for where you are traveling (Example: Typhoid)

Required Vaccinations: Recommendations for vaccinations that are mandatory for travel to certain countries (Example: Yellow Fever)