California may be the poster child for the Medical Home but, when it comes to pharmacy synchronization, it’s a healthcare house divided: the House of hospital pharmacists on the one side, patients, physicians, and community pharmacists on the other.
Currently pending in front of the State Assembly is AB2418, legislation that would promote “promotes policies designed to improve patient medication adherence.”
Specifically the bill addresses pharmacy synchronization, a tried and true methodology for significantly improving compliance and adherence. The bill is being opposed by hospital pharmacists or better known as the “anti-adherence” organization.
Adherence is a problem of behemoth proportions. According to a report in the report conducted by the New England Healthcare Institute, not taking medications as prescribed leads to poorer health, more frequent hospitalization, a higher risk of death and as much as $290 billion annually in increased medical costs. There isn’t any one way to solve the problem. Education? Sure, but that only gets you so far. Apps and other social media interventions? Yes. Phone call reminders from physicians and pharmacists? Absolutely. But, alas, there is no one magic bullet.
Pharmacy programs seem to be the best way forward, and there’s hard data to back that up. Case in point – the successful Appointment-Based Model program being used at Thrifty White, a Midwest chain of pharmacies. (For more information on the Thrifty White program, see the article, Adherence and persistence associated with an appointment-based medication synchronization program, from the December 2013 edition of the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.) Patients enrolled in the program have experienced 3.4 to 6.1 times greater adherence
Medication synchronization is a pharmacy service that improves patient adherence to prescribed medications by coordinating the refill dates for all of a patient’s chronic prescription medications so these can be picked up on the same date each month. It is estimated that 76 percent of Americans aged 60 and over use two or more medicines and 37 percent take five or more medicines. Patient and caregiver lives are simplified by eliminating multiple trips to the pharmacy each month. It also minimizes confusion over when a prescription is due to be refilled, and minimizes disrupting treatment through delayed or missed refills.
The Appointment-Based Model (ABM) is a voluntary medication synchronization prescription refill program that aims to improve patient adherence as well as the efficiency of the pharmacy operation. The ABM provides enhanced patient access through a streamlined process, opportunity for patient education on medication use, and greater pharmacist oversight to address potential contraindications, duplicate drug therapy, and errors.
What outcomes of medication synchronization?
· Improved adherence and time on therapy.
· Enhanced patient quality of care resulting from better adherence and understanding of medication therapy.
· Increased patient and pharmacist engagement allowing for greater monitoring and oversight of patient multiple-medication regiments.
· More efficient pharmacy operations. Medication synchronization has the potential to reduce administrative costs incurred by pharmacists and physicians long term as it streamlines medicine refill processes and helps pharmacies manage their inventories.
The American Medical Association adopted Resolution 801(I-12) in 2013, which encouraged relevant organizations, including insurance companies, to implement prescription refill strategies for patients with multiple prescriptions to reduce travel barriers to access to medicines.
The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) have endorsed medication synchronization language for states to use when considering legislation. The American Pharmacists Association (APhA), American Cancer Society, Stroke Foundation, Epilepsy Foundation, American Academy of Pain Managemet and State Pain Policy Network are also educating their members on the benefits of medication synchronization.
According to CMS, The estimated cost to Part D sponsors is $0.5million and the savings to Part D sponsors and beneficiaries is $1.8 billion. And there will be an overwhelming reduction in overall health care costs because of improved patient outcomes due to enhanced medication adherence, which should lead to higher quality ratings for a health insurance plan.
AB 2418 should be a no-brainer.
