PLYMOUTH, Minn. — Robert Narveson, chairman, president/CEO of Thrifty White Pharmacy addressed the Personalized-Medication Adherence and Persistence Program (P-MAPP) Consortium Advisory Board regarding the role of his pharmacies in the P-MAPP. “Our business model aligns with the P-MAPP; listening to the Voice of the Patient and bringing the pharmacist out from behind the counter and engaging with patients. We are thrilled to be part of this program and demonstrate what pharmacists can do not only to impact improvement in health outcomes but to participate in broader research endeavors. As we reactivate patient enrollment, the realities of COVID-19 require that we conduct our Motivational Interviews remotely using video/audio conferencing. We are still engaging with patients and helping them to identify options for healthier outcomes.”

The P-MAPP combines patient engagement, digital technologies and predictive analytics to define personalized strategies to improve medication adherence and persistence in patients with Type 2 diabetes. It is the first all pharmacy-based program supported by representatives from multiple stakeholder groups including regulators, prescribers, pharmacists, pharmaceutical companies, health insurers, professional organizations, medical device companies and academia. Thrifty White, the first pharmacy chain to launch the P-MAPP, kicks off reactivating patient enrollment following the COVID-19 lock-down.

Using the MediMergent digital platform, the P-MAPP collects data from real-world sources including patient-reported experience surveys, medical records, pharmacy fill/refill data, claims, and wearable devices. Based on a well-established behavioral model that identifies barriers to medication adherence, app-based surveys are completed by patients. Data are transferred, near-real time, to the enrolling pharmacists who schedule private counseling sessions with their patients to review the data and generate strategies to address drivers of non-adherence. Patients are followed for 12-months.

Dr. Norman Stockbridge, director, Division of Cardiology and Nephrology, FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research stated “reaching out to patients in multifaceted ways is even more critical today under the global COVID-19 pandemic than when the program launched in 2019. Patients are in critical need of outreach by healthcare providers, especially prescribers and pharmacists, to ensure that they are receiving appropriate medical attention and are following their medical regimens.  The P-MAPP provides a structured pathway for such engagement.”

Greg Simon, president of MediMergent said “we talk about the patient being the most underutilized resource in healthcare yet we are organized to get information about the patient without focusing on getting information with the patient. The P-MAPP leverages the strengths of pharmacists to engage directly with patients, capture their voices and together improve health outcomes.”