2013-13

Improving Patient Care Through Medication Synchronization

REPRESENTATIVE EDWARD VIGIL (CO) HEALTH CARE TASK FORCE

WHEREAS, the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) was founded in 1989 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization with the mission to serve as a catalyst for joint action on issues of common concern, such as housing, immigration, education and health care, to all segments of the Hispanic community; and

WHEREAS, the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators aims to promote effective, equal, and culturally appropriate access to health care for all; and

WHEREAS, disruption of continuity of health care can result in detrimental life threatening consequences to the individuals who are most vulnerable, ultimately causing more medical complications and higher health care costs; and

WHEREAS, continuity of care can be difficult for patients and their pharmacists because such care depends on patients keeping track of multiple prescription medications with different refill dates, compounding already poor rates of adherence to prescribed treatments; and

WHEREAS, poor adherence results in poor health outcomes and increased health care spending, causing $105.4 billion in avoidable health care costs in 2012; and

WHEREAS, pharmacists spend valuable time each month coordinating prescription refills instead of spending time on direct patient care services; and

WHEREAS, “medication synchronization” is an approach that allows for an appointment-based pharmacy model that coordinates all of a patient’s chronic prescription medications to be filled on the same date each month, and, upon refill pickup, allows for patients and pharmacists to have in-depth discussions about treatments and adherence to prescription and over the counter medications; and

WHEREAS, medication synchronization is shown to significantly improve prescription medication adherence, with patients enrolled in appointment-based pharmacy models being three to six more times likely to adhere to medication ; and

WHEREAS, when patients and pharmacies work together to coordinate prescriptions through an appointment-based medication synchronization model, patients benefit by playing a more active role in their own health care, and pharmacies benefit through operational efficiencies that allow them to spend more time focusing on direct care services; and

WHEREAS, the American Medical Association adopted Resolution 801-I-12 in 2013 which encourages implementation of prescription refill strategies for patients with multiple prescriptions;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that in order to improve public health and save taxpayer dollars, we hereby urge states to support the expanded use of medication synchronization and appointment-based model programs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that laws and regulations should support the ability of pharmacists to synchronize prescription refills, and should not present barriers to the voluntary implementation of synchronization programs; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that states should educate employers, pharmacists, patient groups and others about the benefits of medication synchronization programs and encourage their adoption.

THIS RESOLUTION WAS ADOPTED AND RATIFIED ON NOVEMBER 16, 2013 AT THE NHCSL ANNUAL MEETING HELD IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA.

Sponsored by: Representative Edward Vigil (CO)

i )Patient Centric Model: Pilot Data Analysis Report, David Holdford, PhD et al , Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy, March 8, 2011
ii )Appointment-Based Model (ABM) Data Analysis Report, Prepared for Thrifty White Pharmacy, David Holdford, RPh, MS, PhD; Timothy Inocencio, PharmD, PhD, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy, 2013