UCI’s Innovative Pharmacy Program Provides Essential Patient Care and Services to Underserved Communities

Joyce Yu-Chia Lee (left) and Sarah McBane (right)

By: Joyce Yu-Chia Lee, PharmD

I currently provide care at the Anaheim clinic, which focuses on comprehensive medication and chronic condition management, while Dr. McBane leads medical resident pharmacotherapy education efforts for the Santa Ana clinic. Both clinical sites serve provide learning opportunities for residents to improve their prescribing habits that address the specific needs of many in these communities.

My vision for FQHC Anaheim is to provide comprehensive medication management for uncontrolled chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension or heart failure. By connecting with the Anaheim community, I have learned that we cannot have a one-size-fits-all approach to care delivery. FQHC patients have their own set of needs. We need to take the time to get to know the patient population and deliver a personalized touch that makes all the difference.

My counterpart, Dr. McBane at the Santa Ana clinic, is training the next generation of medical residents to be better prescribers. She also works to ensure the effectiveness of the pharmacist’s role in proactively planning and looking through the patient file to address gaps in medication management.


This publication is a part of UCI Health Affairs “Bridging the Gap” series. To read the entire story, click here.