TORONTO — With the prevalence of chronic diseases on the rise, Shoppers Drug Mart (SDM) and Great-West Life are introducing two health support programs for the insurer’s clients.

Participating SDM pharmacists will offer a support program for eligible Great-West Life plan members who are living with diabetes, as well as a comprehensive medication counseling program for eligible plan members.

“This agreement demonstrates and accelerates the expanded role that pharmacists perform in helping patients better manage their health, and utilizes pharmacists’ knowledge and trusted patient relationships,” comments Dorian Lo, executive vice president of pharmacy and health care at SDM.

“Through this agreement, we are furthering our commitment to help payers improve the health of their plan members, while effectively managing rising health care costs.”

The diabetes support program was developed to provide Great-West Life plan members the opportunity to connect with a participating SDM pharmacist trained in diabetes management.

In addition, the insurer’s plan members will have access to more than 450 of the chain’s pharmacists who are certified diabetes educators. The program will include A1c testing, medication therapy recommendations and lifestyle management counseling.

The counseling program encourages medication cost awareness and adherence for better health outcomes while reducing drug plan costs to the plan sponsor.

Both support programs are multiyear and are intended to be long-term. They build on the pharmaceutical knowledge and counseling expertise of SDM pharmacists to provide extended support to Great-West Life plan members on a completely voluntary basis, at no cost to plan members or their benefits plans.

The diabetes support program will initially be made available to about 120,000 Great-West Life plan members, and the medications counseling program will be made available to about 15,000.

“As a leading insurer, we know plan members want more support from their employer and plan provider than simply paying their claims,” says Brad Fedorchuk, vice president of group marketing at Great-West Life. “Increasingly, what they’re asking for is help in managing their health, and that is not accomplished through medications alone.

“Great-West Life recognizes the value Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacists can bring and the role of pharmacists in supporting positive health outcomes on behalf of plan members and plan sponsors,” he adds. “As Canada’s largest pharmacy chain, Shoppers Drug Mart is able to deliver these health support programs on a national basis. The Shoppers Drug Mart store network, which is open and accessible seven days a week, including more than 1,125 participating pharmacies, offers more potential points of access than any other pharmacy services provider in the country.”