SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Pharmacy automation provider QS/1 has partnered with Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) to help sharpen coordination among health care providers.

QS/1 said its Pharmacy Management Systems have been enhanced to exchange information with CCNC’s PHARMACeHOME software, used to conduct medication reconciliation to manage the care of Medicaid recipients in North Carolina.

To that end QS/1 developed a program to send the required user and patient information to PHARMACeHOME, which drives CCNC’s The Pharmacy Home Project initiative to foster the collaborative work to create a well-coordinated, goal-oriented and continually reinforced drug use plan.

CCNC is pushing the power of technology and information to services to improve the management of patient prescriptions, QS/1 noted.

“Patients no longer see one doctor. Patients also consult with specialists, nurse practitioners and pharmacists about their health. That is why this collaboration with CCNC is crucial,” stated Michael Ziegler, QS/1 senior manager of marketing and analyst.

“Health care providers can review and update patient records each time a patient receives care,” he explained. “Participating pharmacies can then access this data to view a complete picture of patient medication adherence.”

PHARMACeHOME was developed as part of a Challenge Grant from the Office of the National Coordinator. Community pharmacies in North Carolina will be using the database to document activities that comprise a comprehensive medication review (CMR), which will follow up on issues related to drug therapy problems.

“QS/1 is pleased to see CCNC work on an effort that focuses on the benefits community pharmacy brings to health care and to find ways to reimburse pharmacies for this value,” Ziegler added.

A community-based, public-private partnership that takes a population management approach to health care, CCNC — through its 14 local network partners — creates “medical homes” in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties for Medicaid beneficiaries, individuals who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, privately-insured employees and uninsured people.