Tip #71 in the APhA booklet, "100 Tips for the Pharmacist", describes how pharmacies can use automated email or phone reminders to connect with patients who are having compliance issues. (That's about 50% of all patients, if the stats are right!)
Several major pharmacy chains heavily promote the convenience of their auto-fill service, which sounds good and is supposed to improve compliance - in thoery. However, there is a very real potential backlash effect to these programs.
If patients haven't taken all of their pills consistently, they obviously won't "need" their Rx refilled on a consistent basis either. In fact, when a mail-order auto-refill arrives, and there are still a lot of pills left, the patient may think this is just another "senior rip-off" to sell more drugs. Sure looks that way...
When a patient fails to pick up the auto-fill in the pharmacy, someone will have to put the drugs back in stock, reverse the claim or credit card charge, and fill it all over again, when the patient finally does run out. That's a duplication of effort, and total waste of time and supplies. Medicare pays out enough already without creating stockpiles of medications that aren't being taken and may potentially wind up being shared with others.
Instead of focusing on automating prescription refills , the pharmacy should be more focused on helping the patient to take the pills routinely. Then an auto-fill program makes perfect sense.
A simple automated phone call reminder or two on a daily basis, or automated email/text messages could very effectively remind the patient to take each dose, and everyone would benefit.
We have the technology. It just needs to be utilized and provided to the patient by those who have the most to gain.
So... who benefits?
1. Big pharma!!! Better compliance sells more product and reduces therapy drop-out. Big pharma really has the most to gain and the resources to provide this service.
2. Insurers!!! Better compliance reduces costs by eliminating unnecessary trips to the emergency room.
3. Patients!!! Better compliance improves disease management and keeps patients healthier.
4. Everyone!!! Better compliance would keep costs down and that benefits the entire health care system.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
100 MTM Tips for the Pharmacist
What is MTM anyway?
MTM is the new "buzzword" in expanded roles for pharmacists. It's shorthand for Medication Therapy Management.
The MTM concept is nothing really new - most of us have been doing this sort of thing for our entire careers. What is new is the fact that Medicare has recognized MTM is reimbursable, and pharmacists can finally get paid for providing this valuable patient care service.
Pharmacists who are just now getting involved in MTM can learn from other practitioners who are reaching their patients and providing needed help managing medications. They can also learn about the kinds of services others have found to be truly effective. Innovative pharmacists are always looking for tips from successful practices and practitioners.
It's only fitting that MTM was one of the hottest of hot topics at the annual meeting of the American Pharmacists Association earlier this month in San Antonio. A new APhA publication, "100 MTM Tips for the Pharmacist", was showcased. I'm especially pleased with the booklet, which was authored by Marsha K Millonig, BPharm, MBA, a registered pharmacist. (I have a 1st edition copy signed by the author!) This booklet is available for sale to anyone - APhA member or not.
Marsha put out a call to the APhA membership for tips and comments on "What Works" in MTM and picked the 100 that she deemed worthy of inclusion. Three of those 100 Tips were mine!
Tip #24 - Provide a Medication Reminder Service for High-Risk NonCompliant Patients.
Obviously, I recommend OnTimeRx Automated Reminder Services. It's "my baby" and I raised it from a seed of an idea to be a valuable service to others. We have worked with professionals at transplant clinics and AIDS specialty pharmacies to provide reminders for those high-risk patients. I know the system works from first hand experience.
The success rate of any transplant facility depends on patient compliance; and if big pharma were inspired to provide a reminder service for organ recipients, it would provide major benefits - some subtle and some not-so-subtle. Better compliance can assure that more organs are available for the thousands on waiting lists. That's not subtle at all!
Newly-transplanted patients have to learn to cope with sudden and drastic changes in their newly "drug dependent" lives. That's not subtle either! But this simple reminder service could help them manage their very complex drug regimens more easily, which is especially critical during the early months after surgery.
I can't think of a more perfect example of a vitally needed MTM service for a high-risk patient. Maybe someday... in a more perfect world!
I'll tell you more about Tip# 71 and #87 in future posts.
MTM is the new "buzzword" in expanded roles for pharmacists. It's shorthand for Medication Therapy Management.
The MTM concept is nothing really new - most of us have been doing this sort of thing for our entire careers. What is new is the fact that Medicare has recognized MTM is reimbursable, and pharmacists can finally get paid for providing this valuable patient care service.
Pharmacists who are just now getting involved in MTM can learn from other practitioners who are reaching their patients and providing needed help managing medications. They can also learn about the kinds of services others have found to be truly effective. Innovative pharmacists are always looking for tips from successful practices and practitioners.
It's only fitting that MTM was one of the hottest of hot topics at the annual meeting of the American Pharmacists Association earlier this month in San Antonio. A new APhA publication, "100 MTM Tips for the Pharmacist", was showcased. I'm especially pleased with the booklet, which was authored by Marsha K Millonig, BPharm, MBA, a registered pharmacist. (I have a 1st edition copy signed by the author!) This booklet is available for sale to anyone - APhA member or not.
Marsha put out a call to the APhA membership for tips and comments on "What Works" in MTM and picked the 100 that she deemed worthy of inclusion. Three of those 100 Tips were mine!
Tip #24 - Provide a Medication Reminder Service for High-Risk NonCompliant Patients.
Obviously, I recommend OnTimeRx Automated Reminder Services. It's "my baby" and I raised it from a seed of an idea to be a valuable service to others. We have worked with professionals at transplant clinics and AIDS specialty pharmacies to provide reminders for those high-risk patients. I know the system works from first hand experience.
The success rate of any transplant facility depends on patient compliance; and if big pharma were inspired to provide a reminder service for organ recipients, it would provide major benefits - some subtle and some not-so-subtle. Better compliance can assure that more organs are available for the thousands on waiting lists. That's not subtle at all!
Newly-transplanted patients have to learn to cope with sudden and drastic changes in their newly "drug dependent" lives. That's not subtle either! But this simple reminder service could help them manage their very complex drug regimens more easily, which is especially critical during the early months after surgery.
I can't think of a more perfect example of a vitally needed MTM service for a high-risk patient. Maybe someday... in a more perfect world!
I'll tell you more about Tip# 71 and #87 in future posts.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Why Doctors Don't Give Patients Credit
We are not talking about a patient getting a "Credit" for unsatisfactory services rendered. I'm talking about patients not receiving credit for being capable of using technology in any of its many forms.
Au Contrare! There are thousands of "ordinary people" with extraordinary medical conditions and physical barriers who use OnTimeRx every day, and tell me they could not live without it.
Ron, a VA patient and long-time user of OnTimeRx software, called me recently to find out the latest news from OnTimeRx HQ. During our conversation, we were bemoaning the fact that most doctors move at a glacial pace when it comes to adopting new technology. He was especially frustrated because the VA has spent a lot of time and money developing the "My HealtheVet" website, but there are many other inexpensive and practical technology tools that could be used by veterans to ease their burdens and simplify their lives even more.
Ron said, " OnTimeRx works really well for me, and I've told all of my VA doctors about OnTimeRx repeatedly." He also wanted to know, "So why don't these doctors order a PDA with OnTimeRx for Traumatic Brain Injury patients - and others - to help them manage their medications and other treatments?"
Here's my theory:
Doctors in general consider themselves to be pretty smart people; and rightly so. IF they are using a PDA, smart phone, or BlackBerry, it's my guess that they probably had a lot of trouble getting it set up and working properly. So, that being the case, they just naturally assume that patients who have less education and compromised mental skills would probably never be able to handle it. This is absolutely not true, but it's probably why the doctors don't even consider an inexpensive laptop, netbook or hand held computer (PDA) as an Assistive Device or Prosthesis for their patients.
Maybe it's time for VA patients with any kind of memory problems to start requesting this OnTimeRx software/hardware adherence solution and save everyone a lot of time, money and heartburn. For $23-$30 worth of software and $100 -$400 (depending on the hardware selected), any patient could improve his or her adherence rate and live better, with less stress, by using the technology that is readily available everywhere.
That's not a theory - that's a fact!
Au Contrare! There are thousands of "ordinary people" with extraordinary medical conditions and physical barriers who use OnTimeRx every day, and tell me they could not live without it.
Ron, a VA patient and long-time user of OnTimeRx software, called me recently to find out the latest news from OnTimeRx HQ. During our conversation, we were bemoaning the fact that most doctors move at a glacial pace when it comes to adopting new technology. He was especially frustrated because the VA has spent a lot of time and money developing the "My HealtheVet" website, but there are many other inexpensive and practical technology tools that could be used by veterans to ease their burdens and simplify their lives even more.
Ron said, " OnTimeRx works really well for me, and I've told all of my VA doctors about OnTimeRx repeatedly." He also wanted to know, "So why don't these doctors order a PDA with OnTimeRx for Traumatic Brain Injury patients - and others - to help them manage their medications and other treatments?"
Here's my theory:
Doctors in general consider themselves to be pretty smart people; and rightly so. IF they are using a PDA, smart phone, or BlackBerry, it's my guess that they probably had a lot of trouble getting it set up and working properly. So, that being the case, they just naturally assume that patients who have less education and compromised mental skills would probably never be able to handle it. This is absolutely not true, but it's probably why the doctors don't even consider an inexpensive laptop, netbook or hand held computer (PDA) as an Assistive Device or Prosthesis for their patients.
Maybe it's time for VA patients with any kind of memory problems to start requesting this OnTimeRx software/hardware adherence solution and save everyone a lot of time, money and heartburn. For $23-$30 worth of software and $100 -$400 (depending on the hardware selected), any patient could improve his or her adherence rate and live better, with less stress, by using the technology that is readily available everywhere.
That's not a theory - that's a fact!
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