Practice Transformation
CMM a win-win for seniors
Older adults are particularly vulnerable to drug therapy problems. They are also especially hard hit by social isolation. Comprehensive medication management offers a solution to both, writes Karmen L. Stephens, PharmD, BCGP. “Undoubtedly, the use of CMM as a solution to engage and interact with residents while simultaneously addressing health concerns and letting an individual know someone cares about him or her is an essential component of care for the older adult population going forward.” It’s happening already, and she shares some success stories. (McKnights Senior Living)
Bitton: Time to move to hybrid payment models
The Primary Care Collaborative recently launched Better Health – Now to advocate for community-based primary care. First on the agenda: a call for hybrid payment models that transition to population-based preventative care. Asaf Bitton, MD, MPH, executive director of Ariadne Labs, made the case in the kick-off webinar. “We need to move toward hybrid-based reimbursement models, which … really start to move us meaningfully toward a combination of some fee-for-service and a lot more prospective population-based payments to pay for the kind of longitudinal relationships over time that can really build on the best that primary care has to offer.” (Healthcare Innovation)
Evidence & Innovation
After inflation, wholesale drug prices drop
New analysis from research firm SSR Health finds that brand-name drugmakers increased their wholesale prices by 4.4% in the last quarter of 2021, up slightly from 3.8% a year earlier. However, once you factor in inflation, wholesale prices fell by 2.3%. Meanwhile, the net prices that health plans paid for medicines — after subtracting rebates, discounts and fees — dropped by 0.7%. After considering inflation, net prices fell 5.4%. Both drops represent the largest quarterly decline in 15 years, STAT News reports. (STAT News)
What’s a population health pharmacist?
What’s a “population health pharmacist?” Mitch Kaminski, MD, MBA, Jefferson College of Population Health, explains what it entails based on programs he created. Among the various components: collaboration with clinical leaders, interfacing with payers, promoting drug formulary adherence and implementing initiatives to promote value-based prescribing, and providing (or supervising) CMM. As pharmacists’ roles in population health expand, “new value-based care models recognize their role in achieving greater savings and improved quality of care. Those savings provide some funding for the incorporation of population health pharmacists into health operations and leadership roles.” (Population Health Learning Network)
Consumer behavior roils pharmacy sector
The pharmacy sector is in flux, and it’s not all COVID related. PYMTS points out new consumer behaviors play a key role. For example, according to Decoding Customer Affinity, “Digital features are among the top motivators for consumers willing to abandon their go-to pharmacies or grocers or those who have already done so. Our research found that 35% of both grocery and pharmacy shoppers say access to better digital capabilities could make them switch merchants.” (PYMNTS)
Policy Solutions
Dealing with SDOH leads to physician burnout
Physicians believe that addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) can improve outcomes and decrease health care costs, but they don’t always have the resources to do so, according to a new survey report from The Physician Foundation. Most (61%) feel they lack the time and ability to effectively address their patients’ SDOH. Nevertheless, 87% want more time and ability in the future. But it appears they will need support: 63% report they often have feelings of burnout when trying to address their patients’ SDOH. (HealthLeaders Media; Physicians Foundation)
In Case You Missed It!
GTMRx Workgroup Updates
- The GTMRx National Physician Advisory Taskforce is having two presentations today, March 29, 2022 from 2:00-3:00pm EST. The first presentation is with Shawn McFarland, Pharm.D., FCCP, BCACP, Manager for the National Clinical Pharmacy Practice Program and the clinical practice integration and model advancement for the Clinical Pharmacy Practice Office of the PBM Services at Veterans Health Administration on the VHA Clinical Pharmacy Practice: Comprehensive Medication Management (CMM) Standardization. The second presentation is with Steve Chen, Pharm.D., MHS, Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs, USC School of Pharmacy; Distinguished Fellow, GTMRx and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, CEO, Healthcare in Action, SCAN group on Value-based Strategies: A Better Way to Manage Medications. Dr. Chen and Dr. Hochman previously presented at Health Care Value Week in January 2022.
GTMRx Experts Reveal Health Care Must-Haves for 2022 and Beyond
Leading Institute for Comprehensive Medication Management Shares Strategies for Improving Inefficiencies in Health Care and Reforming Medication Management
“Collaborative practice agreements, using clinical pharmacists, who are right there in the community and know the patients. And specifically with homeless patients, I think there does need to be a little more outreach, the clinical pharmacist going out, through collaborative practice agreements, and seeing patients, and helping us manage their complex needs.. And because it is of course, a little challenging to expect homeless patients to visit clinics. But I’ll say this, they’re much more likely to respond if you meet them in the community rather than a traditional medical office practice.” – Michael Hochman, MD primary care physician and CEO of Healthcare in Action, SCAN’s Homeless Medical Group
Read more in our press release.
GTMRx in the News
While the health care industry reevaluates processes and care from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, patient experience optimization has arguably never been more of a priority for the health community at-large. A big part of optimizing the experience includes paying attention to and changing how medications are selected, managed and monitored to avoid misuse, overuse or underuse.
Read more from GTMRx Executive Director, Katie Capps, in Healthcare Business Today.
The Right Drug Dose Now Act Introduced Feb. 28, 2022
On February 28, 2022, the GTMRx Institute issued a letter of support for the Right Drug Dose Now Act which was introduced on the same day. (See the press release from Congressman Swalwell here.)
GTMRx’s Precision Medicine Enablement via Advanced Diagnostics Workgroup invited congressional staff from the Personalized Medicine Caucus to present on draft PGx legislation underway on two occasions. The Personalized Medicine Caucus, co-chaired by Representatives Tom Emmer (R-MN) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA), engages members in a constructive dialogue about legislative and regulatory policies that can help realize the full potential of personalized medicine. The recommendations that came out of these discussions were put into our Letter to the Personalized Medicine Caucus Co-Chairs—Representatives Tom Emmer (R-MN) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA)—on the Right Drug Dose Now Act.
Some of the GTMRx recommendations to the Caucus included:
- Incorporating comprehensive medication management definition and language.
- Combining PGx testing with the CMM process of care.
- Expanding implementation of EHR guidelines, education awareness campaigns, and reporting.
- Clarifying the definition of adverse drug events.
A Comprehensive Overview of the Institute, It’s Vision, Mission and Leadership
The Get the Medications Right Institute is working to decrease misuse, overuse and underuse of medications and avoid waste by advancing comprehensive medication management to ensure appropriate and personalized use of medications and gene therapies. Learn more in this brochure.
Interested in supporting our work?
Please contact Jeff Hanson (e: [email protected])
Join us to be part of meaningful change
Irma, like many others, struggles as a result of our current trial-and-error approach to medication. That is why we advocate for a new, comprehensive approach to medication use and prescribing. As a non-profit 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organization, the GTMRx Institute and Foundation relies on funding from our supporting members. We ask that you consider becoming a Supporting Signing Member so we can continue to provide relevant, timely resources to get the medications right!
If you’re interested in supporting the Institute or Foundation at a higher level, please contact us. Your dollars will bring about meaningful change for people like Irma.
AmazonSmile is an easy way for 0.5% of your qualified purchases go to the GTMRx Foundation at no cost to you. And signing up is simple—go to smile.amazon.com and select “Get the Medications Right Foundation” as your charity of choice. If you prefer to directly donate instead, you can do so here.
Adding the foundation on AmazonSmile will help us continue to provide no cost educational webinars, issue briefs, weekly news briefs and promote the need for transformation of our current system of medication use through social media campaigns.
