Pharmacies urged to consider appointment-based model with med sync

SAN FRANCISCO — Through early 2016, Health Mart plans to host more than 100 Town Hall continuing education events nationwide to promote medication synchronization programs among its member pharmacies.

The McKesson pharmacy franchise said Monday that the “Get in Sync: Medication Synchronization” Town Hall events will encourage pharmacists to consider an appointment-based model with med sync. According to the company, that model will shift pharmacies away from reactive prescription filling as the industry sharpens its focus on clinical performance and patient outcomes.

“Med sync is a critically important opportunity for independent pharmacists to improve patient care and clinical quality measures, as well as streamline pharmacy operations and improve their bottom line,” Steve Courtman, president of Health Mart, said in a statement. “However, med sync is not the end goal. It is the vehicle that will enable our pharmacies to make the transition from just filling prescriptions to taking a more proactive, patient-centric approach.”

The interactive, peer-to-peer workshops will help pharmacies learn how to implement a med sync program and provide a review of the program’s benefits, which Health Mart said include improved operational efficiencies to free up pharmacists’ time, reduced expenses and increased revenue, and better clinical performance to help gain payer recognition for quality outcomes.

During the Town Hall event, attendees learn the seven steps to creating a med sync process that will help them transition to an appointment-based model. Besides time-saving tips offered in an implementation playbook, attendees receive practical examples of how other pharmacy owners and their teams overcame barriers of implementing med sync.

For instance, Greg Paisley, vice president and chief operating officer at Shriver’s Health Mart Pharmacy and Coler Long Term Care, reported lower dispensing costs, improved pharmacy operations and a better work environment after implementing med sync at five locations. At Tyson’s Drugs Health Mart, owner Bob Lomenick attributed 60% incremental script growth over the past five years to syncing more than 900 patients’ prescriptions at three locations.

And Derek Tengan of 5 Minute Health Mart Pharmacy surpassed CMS Five-Star Quality goals at his two retail locations for two adherence measures and high-risk medication use in the elderly since implementing med sync last year. He also showed a local health plan how managing just 10 high-risk patients with med sync and medication therapy management could save them an estimated $180,000 in fewer emergency room visits and hospital admissions and readmissions.

In addition to this third series of Town Hall Meetings, Health Mart said it has invested heavily to help pharmacies “Get In Sync” at each step of their med sync journey with the development of the online Health Mart University Learning Experience and Med Sync Playbook.

The Med Sync Learning Experience provides an online road map to connect pharmacies to resources and training from Health Mart to help them implement and optimize med sync in their pharmacy. Health Mart has also developed physician-facing fax templates, and patient-facing marketing materials and the brand SimpleSync to help pharmacies advertise their new med sync service.

“We recognize one key factor that makes our customers different as independent pharmacies: They already have the relationships with their patients. Their business model and how they operate just needs to follow,” Courtman explained. “Health Mart is confident that this shift of their focus from reactive prescription filling to proactive and patient-focused will improve both the health of their businesses and their patients.”

Health Mart added that the 2016 Health Mart Healthy Living Tour will include stops at a number of the “Get in Sync: Medication Synchronization” Town Hall events. Using special, Health Mart-branded RVs, the Healthy Living Tour aims to help identify people at risk for a variety of health conditions that can be better managed with the help of a pharmacist. The 2015 tour screened thousands of people in more than 130 communities, with first-time stops in Montana, North and South Dakota, Virginia and Maine. Overall, Health Mart includes over 4,200 pharmacies in all 50 states.