A collaborative model: ambulatory pharmacotherapy for chronic psychiatric patients.

1. Increases in patient acuity and diagnosis related groups limiting hospital lengths of stay have contributed to the heightened demand for structured outpatient programs. 2. The Medication Clinic and Medication Group, a daily functioning outpatient program, is designed to shift the responsibility for medication management from the health-care provider to the patient and family through education and participation. 3. Within the framework of a collaborative practice model, the patient, clinical nurse specialist, and psychiatrist share equal power and responsibility. A phenomenologically oriented approach whereby the health-care provider attempts to understand the patient's illness from the patient's perspective is a crucial component. 4. The Medication Program combines the expertise of nursing and medicine in a complementary fashion, conducive to both revenue-generating activity and cost-effective role use.