DUBLIN, Ohio — Community pharmacists are reacting positively to a new custom-built medication synchronization program that simplifies the process for patients and caregivers who are filling multiple prescriptions and improves patients’ medication adherence by helping to ensure that they fill all prescriptions every month, according to Cardinal Health Inc.

The Cardinal Health MedSync Advantage program is the newest offering in a suite of solutions from Cardinal Health called Reach for the Stars. The online platform was designed by Cardinal Health’s innovation lab, Fuse, which connects technology with health care and operates on the premise that life-changing solutions are built by users rather than for users.

Community pharmacists had direct input into creation of MedSync Advantage, Cardinal Health noted.

“We’ve had the opportunity to look at Cardinal Health’s medication synchronization product, and it’s by far the best product that I’ve looked at,” remarked Larry Schieber, pharmacist and owner at Schieber Family Pharmacy in Circleville, Ohio. “We can get a lot of patients enrolled in this medication synchronization program, which is really a win-win for everybody. It’s a win for the patient, and it’s a win for us because it evens out our work flow and helps us operate more ­efficiently.”

The program makes it easier for pharmacists to identify eligible patients, the company pointed out. Other benefits of the MedSync Advantage program include:

• Integration with pharmacy management system and daily or monthly reporting.
• Automated synchronization, which ensures ease of adding customers.
• Access through a single sign-on with the Cardinal Health customer ordering platform, Order Express.

“We believe medication synchronization is a core competency for medication therapy management expansion in the pharmacy, and we want to prepare our pharmacies to move toward a value-based pharmacy model for payment in the future,” commented Steve Lawrence, senior vice president of retail independent sales at Cardinal Health.

“MedSync Advantage allows us to do that by reengineering the pharmacy to allow for a more patient-centric approach to care.”

Cardinal Health is one of the nation’s leading distributors of pharmaceuticals and other medical supplies and equipment. Its customers include retail pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes and doctor’s ­offices.