Ambulatory Pharmacy - Medication Management

To assist you with understanding your medications and treatments, Billings Clinic provides comprehensive medication management through our Ambulatory Pharmacy. Our clinical pharmacists work with you and your provider to identify, resolve, and prevent drug therapy problems to improve your outcomes and the quality of care you receive. 

Your First Appointment with the Clinical Pharmacist

Meet Our Team

Benefits of Medication Management

  • Educate you and your family members or caregivers about medications
  • Manage a variety of disease states
  • Ensure you are on the best medication for your condition and lifestyle
  • Identify and resolve problems of your current treatment
  • Manage and resolve side effects
  • Monitor blood tests needed while on your medicine
  • Help to lower medication costs
  • Coordinate care with your provider and health care team
  • Serve as a patient advocate

Primary Care Ambulatory Pharmacy

Comprehensive medication management

  • Dosing and treatment review
  • Drug interaction review
  • Medication education
  • Side effect management
  • Assist in medication selection to reduce cost

    Management of chronic conditions

    Asthma and COPD

    • Provide education on asthma and/or COPD and use of medications
    • Select the most appropriate prescription medications to assist with asthma and/or COPD
    • Help reduce cost and ensure medications for asthma and/or COPD are affordable
    • Provide support and education on proper use of inhalers and other medications

    Bariatric Medication Management

    • Review and optimize medications before and after prior bariatric surgery
    • Provide education on how the body uses medications and vitamins differently after bariatric surgery

    Diabetes

    • Provide education on diabetes and management of diabetes
    • Provide education on how diabetes medications work
    • Select the most appropriate prescription medications to treat diabetes
    • Help reduce cost and ensure medications for diabetes are affordable
    • Monitor and adjust medications to reach blood glucose goals

    High Cholesterol

    • Provide education on high cholesterol and use of medications
    • Select the most appropriate prescription medications to assist with high cholesterol
    • Provide support and education on lifestyle changes that can help lower cholesterol
    • Work with patient to develop plan to improve cholesterol

    Hypertension

    • Provide education on high blood pressure and use of medications
    • Select the most appropriate prescription medications to assist with high blood pressure
    • Provide support and education on lifestyle changes that can help lower blood pressure
    • Work with patient to develop plan to improve blood pressure

    Pharmacogenics

    • Pharmacogenomics is a subset of precision medicine that uses a patient’s genetic information to guide optimal medication selection and dosing
    • Pharmacists and physicians use a patient’s pharmacogenomic information along with current medications, and medical conditions to select medications that are individualized to the patient
    • This testing is often used in the field of psychiatry but is also relevant in the fields of oncology, neurology, cardiology, and pain
    • Not everyone needs genetic testing. Patients who have experienced significant side effects from medications or who have tried many medications without success may benefit from pharmacogenetic testing

    Smoking Cessation

    • Provide education on smoking cessation and use of medications for smoking cessation
    • Select the most appropriate prescription or nonprescription medication to assist with smoking cessation
    • Work with patients to develop a plan to quit smoking

    Service Line Specialists 

    Clinical pharmacists in specialty areas work with many complex systems and disease states. The specialty areas with pharmacy services include oncology, neurology, pediatrics, and cardiology. Pharmacy services include:

    • Medication education
    • Dosing and treatment review
    • Drug interaction review
    • Side effect management
    • Follow up for medication tolerance and adherence
    • Monitor blood tests if needed for your medicine
    • Ensure you are on the best medication for your condition and lifestyle

    Your First Appointment with the Clinical Pharmacist

    What to Expect

    Your first appointment will be a one-hour visit with the pharmacist. This appointment will include a comprehensive review of your medication use and will include prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, and supplements.

    The pharmacist will identify patient-specific medication-related problems such as side effects, drug interactions, and adherence issues.

    The pharmacist will create a care plan and make needed changes in drug therapy that the patient agrees to. There will be follow-up appointments with the pharmacist until the medication therapy has been optimized and the goals of the therapy have been met.

    What to Bring to Your First Appointment

    Please bring all of your medications, including:

    • prescription medications
    • inhalers and creams
    • vitamins
    • herbal supplements
    • over-the-counter medications

    Please bring a list of your allergies or a list of medicines that have caused bad reactions. Additionally, please bring a list of blood pressure and/or blood sugar readings.

    Ambulatory Pharmacy

    Scheduling Your Appointment

    To schedule an appointment, please call 406-657-5927.

    Appointment Locations

    Appointments are available at Billings Clinic Downtown, Billings Clinic West, Billings Clinic Heights, Billings Clinic Cody (WY) .  Pharmacists also make visits to Beartooth Billings Clinic in Red Lodge and Stillwater Billings Clinic in Columbus.   

    Billing Information

    Your appointments with the clinical pharmacist are covered under certain insurance plans including BCBS, MT Medicaid, and Pacific Source. Check with your insurance provider for more information or ask to speak with one of our pharmacy specialists.