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Practice Transformation

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 key component of our integrated approach and is generating significant value in patient care.” (HealthcareIT News)
Prescribing practices designed to maximize both efficacy and cost-effectiveness reduce wasteful prescribing and save money, according to physicians interviewed for a Commonwealth Fund study. The key to altering their prescribing practices would be to give them easy access to data, such as cost to the patient. But even when physicians want to drive patients to high-value, low-cost drugs an array of hurdles—including physician workflow, PBM hesitancy to share drug cost information at the point of care, and perceived patient preferences—inhibit change. (Commonwealth Fund)

Evidence & Innovation

If society is to capitalize on big data, it must be appropriately integrated and communicated, according to a commentary in Lancet Digital Health. “It will be important to have digital health information collected in a format that clinicians and consumers can easily interpret and query,” write the authors. “We need to find creative ways to incentivise broad adoption of precision health, which will require participation from insurers, health-care providers, employers, and consumers. Transformational change also requires evidence, which is rapidly accumulating. Robust evidence of the health benefits of big data together with financial incentives will make precision health a reality.” (Lancet Digital Health)
Surescripts is terminating its relationship with ReMy Health over a patient data dispute, and that’s going to make things tough for Amazon PillPack. Why? ReMy Health is a third party that supplied PillPack with information about patient prescriptions. Now, PillPack has to manually get that data by asking the patient and hoping that they remember their prescription history. CNBC points out that Surescripts is owned by a group of potential PillPack competitors, including CVS and ExpressScripts, and manages about 80% of all U.S. prescriptions. (CNBC)

Policy Solutions

The “deluge” of gene therapy drugs into the market this year signals a continuous push toward personalized medicine, Managed Healthcare Executive reports. “There’s going to be a new paradigm in medicine from a cost and patient perspective,” observes Baylor’s Tami John, MD. “From a physician standpoint, we’re advocating for negotiations from the federal, state, and hospital levels because these drugs are going to be life-changing.” Payers, however, are balking at the cost. John recommends providers find local hubs with scientific institutions that have the resources to navigate through the payment issues. (Managed Healthcare Executive)
The Department of Veterans Affairs has launched the National Center for Collaborative Healthcare Innovation. Located inside the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, the program will focus on artificial intelligence, clinical decision support and workflow efficiencies as initial priorities. The goal, according to the VA, is to “advance veteran healthcare services with cutting edge technology” that can be shared “broadly for the benefit of many more patients.” Currently, the plan is to bring into clinical use an AI system that forecasts the presence of acute kidney injury. (HealthData Management)
Upcoming: Focus On Communications
In five short months, the GTMRx Institute has already gained 500 signing members, and we are growing every day! We are off to a fast start—producing timely, relevant content and resources through the GTMRx Learning Network and convening workgroups to develop a Blueprint for Change to optimize medication use for all patients. In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing monthly updates to our members on our initiatives and our progress. Only signing members will receive the links to access these Focus On Communications updates. If you’re not yet a signing member, now’s the perfect time to join. It’s simple and free to join, and we hope you’ll help us spread the word with others in your network who want to be part of the movement to get the medications right, the first time!
Free, Live, GTMRx Institute Webinar
Core tenets to implement CMM in primary care:
Getting the medications right
September 26, 2019 | 1- 2 p.m. EDT
Presented by:
The evidence is clear: comprehensive medication management (CMM) is good for patients as well as for the pharmacists, physicians and others involved in their care. Through CMM services, we have a team-based, systematic approach to ensure medications are safe, effective and appropriate for every patient. Now we need to know how to implement it consistently across primary care teams. This webinar will offer a customizable blueprint for delivery of CMM and demonstrate how it improves work-life balance for primary care providers. It will include strategies learned from practices in the field and showcase evidence-based tools practices can use to implement CMM.

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