Regional Chain Pharmacy Impacts Adherence Scores

For pharmacies operating in medically underserved communities, patient care begins with outreach and services. Ashley’s pharmacy made a conscious effort to help improve the health of their community. Her pharmacy team began taking blood pressure readings and then became one of the first stores in the area to administer immunizations. As health plans recognized that these services can impact patient health, their involvement in adherence-based programs increased. Ashley brought Lori in to create a strategy focused on reviewing all patients and maintaining their adherence for three measures for a specific health plan using EQUIPP.

Weekly outlier updates from EQUIPP allow Ashley and Lori to see who’s falling behind and allow for quick follow-up to the patient. They review what prescriptions need to be filled and which patients need to be counseled. That information is then sent to pharmacists in the store. The pharmacists are able to focus on those patients that week for outreach so they do not fall behind on getting their medications. Re-counseling may involve explaining the importance of taking their diabetes medication or their blood pressure medication.

Sharpe emphasizes the value of our pharmacists to their organization. “We’re not going to be a good organization if we don’t have good pharmacists, and so we want to do everything we can from a corporate standpoint to empower our pharmacists to focus on our patients.”

“And if that means we can use organizations such as EQUIPP to help gather the right information to make good decisions and to build our patient’s trust by consistently applying our practice in a way that is best for the patient, we feel like that’s a good direction for pharmacy to go.” He adds that making their pharmacists accessible to their patients, and providing access to the best information to make proper decisions, will lead to better healthcare outcomes. It improves the industry and makes the pharmacy profession one that is highly respected and highly valued.

“Take the time to sit, read, and try to really understand how these plans are measuring you for adherence.” Lori McLean advises on making the best use of EQUIPP. “From a pharmacy standpoint, you want to focus on the plans that you have a lot of patients in related to your two to three biggest payers. We really focus on those patients to stay adherent.”

Ashley Kunkle recommends that pharmacists take the time to really dive into EQUIPP resources. “You can learn a lot about what plans will reimburse you for the services, many that your pharmacy is already doing, and if you can refine your process so that you make sure, you focus on the patients who may not be compliant, those who are left without their meds for those few days. These patients can really make the difference with these health plans.”