Utilizing an Information Management Platform to Improve Quality Scores
As we enter open enrollment for 2022 Medicare Part D plan selection, it is an excellent opportunity to highlight the impact of clinical performance on overall profitability. A pharmacy’s revenue depends heavily on prescription sales and the profit margins from health plan reimbursements, but unexpected expenses like Direct and Indirect Remuneration (DIR) fees can cut into those profit margins, presenting a serious business challenge. Pharmacy First has proactively tried to combat this challenge by working with Pharmacy Quality Solutions (PQS) to allow pharmacies within our network to obtain information management platforms like EQUIPP at a vastly discounted rate! EQUIPP® is an innovative performance information management platform designed to help pharmacists thrive in a value-based, quality-focused environment.
Pharmacy of the Quarter
This quarter we are highlighting an independent pharmacy from Cato, New York that has utilized EQUIPP over the years to keep their Proportion of Days Covered (PDC) scores substantially high. The delay of this blog post was due to the retrospective nature of EQUIPP’s data, as it is important to remember the data shown is from 45 days ago. Nevertheless, we had the privilege of speaking with Craig from Pine Hill Hometown Pharmacy, as he shared his insights into the business.
Pharmacy First:
You have utilized the EQUIPP information management platform for a couple of years now. What convinced you to take the first step in purchasing this service?
Craig:
When I took over my pharmacy in 2014, programs such as OutcomesMTM and EQUIPP were just coming to fruition. I was on my own here for the most part. I had no relief pharmacists at the time, and I struggled to keep up with the performance programs. There were not many options for monitoring adherence then, but fortunately, Pharmacy First was able to direct me towards the EQUIPP solution.
Pharmacy First:
Did you receive any advice or assistance on how to use EQUIPP effectively?
Craig:
I had brief conversations at first with people from EQUIPP, but I knew I just needed to find the time to work on the platform. Once I was able to hire a part-time pharmacist, we learned as we went. The platform is intuitive and easy to navigate once you take a moment to learn, but it is important to dedicate some time to learning the process.
Pharmacy First:
Where do you start when you want to look at EQUIPP data?
Craig:
I wasn’t able to put forth the effort until my part-time pharmacist came on board. He handles most of it all now. He logs in to EQUIPP weekly. He starts by doing a comparison of our current adherence percentages to see where the most impact can be made and then looks at the outlier’s section, which we discuss regularly. It can be a struggle. Sometimes you can’t grasp the reality some of your patients face until you reach out to them, and even then, it can be challenging to get their compliance.
Pharmacy First:
Were there any changes implemented to your workflow that you believe led to your continued success today?
Craig:
We utilize multiple reports along with a manual system of setting up adherence medications for future refills; very arduous and tedious, but we have yet to come up with anything better.
Pharmacy First:
Lastly, what else would you say was essential in your pharmacy’s ability to consistently keep your adherence metrics at a 5-star level?
Craig:
It boils down to an everyday effort to monitor compliance, track refills due, and daily discussions with patients. As an independent pharmacy, we are able to maintain a very close relationship with all our customers, unlike larger chain pharmacies.
Thank you for taking the time to find out what made this pharmacy’s rapid success a reality. Again, if you would like to share a success story your pharmacy has experienced, please feel free to reach out to us. If you would like to sign up for EQUIPP services, have further questions about the program, or simply need help managing the program for your pharmacy, please reach out to our pharmacist on staff: programs@pharmacyfirst.com.
