Albertsons earns kudos for MTM services

BOISE, Idaho — Albertsons Cos. continues to exhibit excellence in medication therapy management (MTM).

The food and drug retailer said Wednesday that OutcomesMTM has named it the “Top Large Pharmacy Chain” in MTM for the first quarter of 2017. This comes after OutcomesMTM, a Cardinal Health subsidiary, recognized Albertsons as a “2016 Top Large Pharmacy Chain” for MTM.

Albertsons noted that the latest honor from OutcomesMTM, a leading national administrator of MTM services, marks the fourth straight quarter it has been recognized in the “Top Large Pharmacy Chain” category and the second time it has received the annual “Top Large Pharmacy Chain” award.

OutcomesMTM recognized Albertsons for its commitment to providing quality patient care and improving patient outcomes via drug therapy optimization.

“We’re proud of this recognition and the exceptional care our pharmacy teams provide their patients each and every day,” Mark Panzer, senior vice president of pharmacy, health and wellness at Albertsons Cos., said in a statement. “The demand for MTM is at an all-time high, as is the demand for accessible, quality, affordable health care. Albertsons Cos. is committed to meeting that demand by empowering our pharmacy teams to help patients take the right medications in the right way at the right time.”

Top Pharmacy Chain awards are based on a company’s overall effectiveness in delivering comprehensive medication reviews (CMRs) and resolving drug therapy problems through targeted intervention programs (TIPs), according to OutcomesMTM.

Albertsons said all of its pharmacies use the OutcomesMTM Connect platform, which offers pharmacy staff additional opportunities to engage with patients. Those interventions range from performing annual CMRs and supporting adherence to critical medications to resolving issues related to safety, cost and more.

OutcomesMTM’s “Top Large Pharmacy Chain” category recognizes companies with more than 900 pharmacy locations. Albertsons also received the “Most Innovative Pharmacy Chain” award from OutcomesMTM in 2014.

Albertsons is the second-largest supermarket company and the eighth-largest retail pharmacy operator, with more than 2,200 supermarkets and 1,700-plus in-store pharmacies in 35 states and the District of Columbia. Its 19 retail banners include such names as Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs.