Gene B. Decaminada,
BSPharm, RPh, FNHIA

When it comes to onboarding new patients, Gene B. Decaminada, Pharmacy Manager with Yale New Haven Health Home Infusion, has a plan. Gene knows that communication is key to successful treatment.

He is also keenly aware that providing complicated medical care for patients at home is stressful for patients and their caregivers. To help ease patients’ concerns, Gene meets them in their homes to better understand their unique situations and discuss ways his pharmacy team can help deliver the necessary medications.

The reward comes from helping ease the burden of taking care of a family member in their home, outside of a controlled setting.”

“Over the course of my 25+ years as a home infusion pharmacist, I’ve worked with parents of pediatric patients and their caregivers to provide intravenous therapies such as antibiotics, hydration, antiemetics, total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and patient-controlled analgesia (PCAs). I work hard to ensure families understand the different side effects from their medications. The reward comes from helping ease the burden of taking care of a family member in their home, outside of a controlled setting.”

Delivering and monitoring patient therapies at home can be challenging. A big part of Gene’s role is ensuring continuity of care between the providers and the patients. He knows accountability starts with him.

“As a pharmacy manager you need to be consistent, build trust within your staff, and hold both yourself and others accountable. It is important to foster a team relationship between your group of pharmacists, nurses and pharmacy technicians.”

When a referral comes through the pharmacy, Gene and his team review patient’s lab values. They take each patient’s height, weight, and age into consideration to calculate the proper drug dosages. Gene and his team, along with other clinical liaisons, also consider a patient’s home environment. By doing so, they can recommend the best delivery system for their needs. In home infusion, a treatment plan needs to be as effective and easy to follow as possible.

Shortly after becoming a Pharmacy Manager, I instituted a daily morning huddle which includes pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, nursing and our billing/intake team.”

But it also means looking at the financial aspect of treatment. Gene often manages specialty medications that he and his team compound, which can cost thousands of dollars. Making sure the pharmacy has access to these medicines is important and something Gene takes special care to address. Gene is committed to organizing the chaos of healthcare to ensure his clinical team is providing professional and compassionate care to their patients.

“Shortly after becoming a Pharmacy Manager, I instituted a daily morning huddle which includes pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, nursing and our billing/intake team. The huddle helps us set up the day, so that all team members are on the same page and expectations are clear to everyone.”

Perhaps the most rewarding part of his job is knowing that he and his team are providing positive outcomes for their patients – even when that means helping with the transition to end of life care. It’s a role that many people don’t often ascribe to pharmacists, but it is important.

“Over more than 41 years in pharmacy, I’ve provided many patients and their families with palliative care, providing comfort to those who are no longer responding to treatments. When hospice care comes in, we’re part of that team. And we want all our patients and their caregivers to feel that they’re an extension of our family.”

For Gene, trust and good communication is what it means to be your pharmacist.