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News Brief | November 26, 2019
Practice Transformation Moving from the retail counter to the bedside HealthPartners’ decision to close 30 retail pharmacies illustrates a significant change in the pharmacy profession: a move to the clinic. “So, I think going forward we will change to more of a clinical pharmacy focus,” Sarah Derr, executive director of the Minnesota Pharmacists Association, tells Minnesota Public Radio. “We’re really looking at ‘what can the pharmacist provide to the patient?’ and not focusing on the little technical steps of filling…
News Brief | November 19, 2019
Practice Transformation Unstructured notes more predictive than structured data for CAD Real-world evidence drawn from unstructured clinical notes was more accurate than structured data in algorithmic prediction of coronary artery disease, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. In other words, real-world data contained in unstructured narratives have significant predictive value when trained algorithms mine it. “In order to maintain credibility and advance science, pharma, academia and vendors must not shy away from the…
News Brief | November 12, 2019
Practice Transformation New health care platforms widen health care’s “front door” A recent Harvard Business Review article explored how new platforms will enhance patient care. Lyft and Best Buy’s Geek Squad are among the strange bedfellows delivering care to patients—or delivering patients to care. And, of course, there’s the dramatic upsurge in apps, virtual consults and all the other aspects of telemedicine. “What these trends point to is a dramatic expansion over the coming years of healthcare’s ‘front door’ as the focus…
News Brief | November 5, 2019
Practice Transformation Physicians need more education on treating pain patients Patients legitimately taking pain medications are suffering because of the opioid crisis. A new report—Drug Misuse in America 2019: Physician Perspectives and Diagnostics Insights on the Evolving Drug Crisis—finds that 81% of primary care doctors say they’re hesitant to accept new patients who’ve been prescribed pain meds. Some patients are even being discharged from providers because they are on opioids for chronic pain, and the doctor didn’t want to continue…
News Brief | October 29, 2019
Practice Transformation Know the implementation components of CMM Research identifying the key components of CMM practice implementation has been lacking, until now. A paper published earlier this month in the Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy outlined the 13 essential elements that can be used to guide CMM practice implementation, development and advancement. Among them are leadership support, billing and revenue systems, methods for identifying patients in need of CMM, scheduling CMM services, care documentation, presence and scope…
News Brief | October 22, 2019
Practice Transformation Opioids: HHS calls for a course correction In the haste to address the opioid epidemic, some chronic pain patients have been forced to rapidly taper, or discontinue altogether, their use of the drugs. But abrupt changes to an opiod prescription can be dangerous. So Health and Human Services has issued new guidelines that recommend a deliberate approach to lowering doses for chronic pain patients who have been on long-term opioid therapy. “It must be done slowly and carefully,” says…
News Brief | October 15, 2019
Practice Transformation Possible trends in AI healthcare The healthcare industry could be the next big opportunity for AI (Artificial Intelligence). One forecast has spending jumping from $2.1 billion to $36.1 billion by 2025. Several experts weigh in on potential trends: transition of medicine from reactive to proactive care; consumer access to health information via electronica medical records and wearables; harnessing AI-driven data to predict and avoid adverse events; and more. (Forbes) Walmart pilot to steer employees to vetted docs Walmart is…
News Brief | October 8, 2019
Practice Transformation AACP’s Sorenson has ambitious CMM goal American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, GTMRx Executive Member, President-Elect Todd Sorensen has set an ambitious goal—that 50% of primary care practices will have integrated comprehensive medication management (CMM) into their practice, with pharmacists delivering those services. Academic Pharmacy Now publisher Lucinda L. Maine, PhD, RPh, says it’s more than a pipe dream. However, innovation, including incorporating CMM into practices, “will take action and collaboration with key contributors both in and out of pharmacy…
News Brief | October 1, 2019
Practice Transformation Association for Molecular Pathology: new position statement for pharmacogenomic testing The Association for Molecular Pathology recently published a position statement for pharmacogenomic testing. It includes a list of criteria for laboratories that ensure responsible use, preserve broad access and improve patient care. (statement; announcement) Is empathy a casualty of the current approach to care? What becomes of empathy when physicians are tied to their screens? “The connection between doctor and patient is the foundation of empathy. How can…
News Brief | September 24, 2019
Practice Transformation Futureproofing precision medicine Provider organizations need to think about how to integrate precision medicine into patient care. Dr. Peter Hulick of NorthShore University HealthSystem—an early adopter—joined other experts to discuss the path forward. He stressed the value to patients and physicians of bringing NorthShore’s genomic testing platform into the primary care setting. He also emphasized EHR integration. “The insight of pharmacogenomics and the ability to integrate into clinical care via our EHR platform has proven to be a…
News Brief | September 17, 2019
Practice Transformation Reduce use of high-cost, low-value drugs to save money Pharmacy benefit plan sponsors could lower drug spending and out-of-pocket costs by reducing the use of high-cost, low-value drugs, according to a Commonwealth Fund analysis. Researchers also analyzed prescription drug data from 15 large self-insured employers to identify prescription drugs with high prices that have no proven clinical value over similar drugs with lower prices. They found $63 million in potential annual savings. The conclusion: “Plan sponsors could lower…
News Brief | September 10, 2019
Practice Transformation Training PCPs in precision medicine Direct-to-consumer DNA tests are popular, but primary care physicians lack background in genetics testing technology to address issues related to the tests. Mylynda Massart, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh, is changing that. She’s medical director of UPMC’s new Primary Care Precision Medicine Clinic. The clinic provides education to PCPs and fills the gap in services for patients. She notes that pharmacogenomics is especially important to primary care. “If we can do a…
News Brief | September 3, 2019
Practice Transformation Implications of PGx coverage for providers UnitedHealthcare has recently decided to cover some pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing. The rollout begins in November, and the plan is to cover testing for patients with major depressive disorder and/or anxiety who have experienced treatment failure at least once. What does this mean to providers? In a recent blog post, Dr. Julie England of OneOme points out, for instance, that even when PGx is only covered for specific conditions and circumstances, the information…
News Brief | August 27, 2019
Practice Transformation Co-located professionals essential Old primary care team modes are “underpowered,” say researchers writing in the Annals of Family Medicine. They call for a new model: “advanced team care with in-room support.” This approach has led to improved productivity and growth, as well as enhanced patient and staff satisfaction, they report. Implementing this new model redistributes team functions to “allow clinicians to shed that portion of clinical and administrative work that a well-trained, well-staffed team could easily perform.” The…
News Brief | August 20, 2019
Practice Transformation Virtual care, drug costs, on employers’ radar With the cost of health benefits expected to increase 5% next year, large employers are looking for ways to control costs, according to a survey released this month by the National Business Group on Health. Among the most popular approaches: implementing more virtual care solutions (51%) and a more focused strategy on high-cost claims (39%). What are they worried about? Drug costs. Managing pharmacy benefits—especially the high cost of specialty drugs…
News Brief | August 13, 2019
Practice Transformation UHC to pay for PGx testing for mental health meds The nation’s largest commercial health plan will start covering genetic testing for providers to choose the best medications to treat mental health issues. UnitedHealthcare said it will cover evidence-based genetic testing to support treatment decisions for psychiatric disorders starting October 1. However, the coverage only kicks in after the patient has failed at least one prior medication to treat the condition. (Clincalomics) Chronic use of sedatives a warning…
News Brief | August 6, 2019
Practice Transformation Health plans vary on coverage for gene therapies New genetic therapies promise a one-time dose of cure for progressively debilitating diseases, but they’ve only proven effective for patients in the early stages of the disease. Novartis’s Zolgensma, for example, has only been tested on children six months or younger, so health plans, which must balance million-dollar price tags with member expectations, are carefully considering the patient’s age and severity of disease before covering the treatment. The dilemma pits…
News Brief | July 30, 2019
Practice Transformation No heart disease? Stop taking daily aspirin Some 29 million Americans over age 40 are taking an aspirin a day to prevent heart disease, but it’s likely causing more harm than good. Research shows only marginal or no benefit at all for older adults to take aspirin to prevent undiagnosed heart disease. But daily aspirin users have a significantly higher risk of digestive tract bleeding. The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology published new standards in…
News Brief | July 16, 2019
Practice Transformation Tech, data partnerships could transform care delivery As health care costs consume nearly a fifth of the U.S. GDP, policymakers, payers and consumers are looking to technology and other innovations to “deliver the right amount of care, at the right time, in the right place, for the right price.” Targeted, more effective cancer therapies and use of analytics should reduce marginal costs. Non-traditional partnerships with organizations that can enhance data efficiency, innovation and insight—like those focused on data…
