Drug Topics - December 12, 2008 - (Page H8)

HSE I Issues & Trends MEDICATION THERAPY MANAGEMENT PharmMD, HealthSpring venture to focus on physicians in MTM ALAINA SCOTT, Senior Editor Network Issues & Trends SEE INDEX PAGE 8 For more info on this topic, see www.drugtopics.com H8 DRUG TOPICS D E C .15, 2008 W W W.D R U GTO P I C S .C O M COURTESY HEALTHSPRING / PHARMMD edication therapy management (MTM) provider PharmMD has come to an agreement with Nashville, Tenn.-based MCO HealthSpring, to provide MTM services to the more than 265,000 of the latter company’s plan members. Tim Sawyers, director of clinical pharmacy services with HealthSpring, said the company will begin using PharmMD’s system of algorithms to compare healthcare and pharmacy claims as it addresses necessary changes in medications or dosages. PharmMD will also help the company improve any quality issues that arise from pharmacy claims. “We have requirements from Medicare [that we must fulﬁll in order] to perform medication management,” Sawyers said. “We found [that previously] we were not getting the total picture of healthcare “It comes down to this: the person driving the bus is the physician. But Tim Sawyers, we were working director of clinical pharmacy through the patients. services with HealthSpring So the model with PharmMD is to focus on the physician.” PharmMD will provide MTM services to HealthSpring members enrolled in its Medicare prescription drug plan (PDP). Using technology to monitor pharmacy use of participant records, M PharmMD will enable licensed pharmacists at the company to watch for potential drug interactions and opportunities to optimize a patient’s drug regimens. patients by analyzing pharmacy and medical claims information and clinical decision-making. Because PharmMD focuses exclusively on MTM, the company says that it is able to analyze both aggregate and patient-speciﬁc data, identifying trends and conﬂicts with a view to making a “[With regard to medication therapy management] it comes down to this: the person driving the bus is the physician. But we were working through the patients. So the [MTM] model with PharmMD is designed to focus on the physician.” — Tim Sawyers, director of clinical pharmacy services, HealthSpring If either is identified, PharmMD positive impact on patient health and will coordinate pharmacist-to-physi- contain costs. HealthSpring is one of the nation’s cian or pharmacist-to-patient interlargest coordinated care provention to ensure appropriate grams to focus specifically action is taken. on the Medicare Advantage “The MTM services promarket. The company curvided by PharmMD will help rently owns and operates HealthSpring improve health Medicare Advantage plans and safety for members of its in Alabama, Florida, Illinois, prescription drug plan,” said Bo Mississippi, Tennessee, and Bartholomew, co-founder and Denise Kehoe, PharmMD vice CEO of PharmMD. “As a result, president of business Texas. It also offers a naour MTM services will also help development and fellow of the American tional stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan. HealthSpring reduce the cost of Pharmacists Association “By closely monitoring the providing drug beneﬁts.” medication use of individual PharmMD is based in Brentwood, Tenn., and works with plan members and engaging clinical health plans, employers, and other pharmacists to optimize their drug payers to help ensure that beneﬁcia- therapies, PharmMD can help improve ries are receiving the most appropri- patient health and reduce unnecessary ate medications. Founded in 2006, healthcare costs,” said Denise Kehoe, the company works to improve coor- PharmMD vice president of business dination and communication among development and fellow of the American physicians, pharmacists, payers, and Pharmacists Association. http://WWW.DRUGTOPICS.COM http://WWW.DRUGTOPICS.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Drug Topics - December 12, 2008

Drug Topics - December 12, 2008 Contents Up Front Up Front In Depth Letters Health-System Edition Cover Story: Controlled Substance Disposal a Growing Problem for Hospitals Pharmacists Hope for Speedy Approvals Deaths from C. Difficile Increasing PharmMD Teams with HealthSpring RX Care Commentary Ohio Hospital Automates Pharmacy The Business Outlook for 2009 OTC The Pharmacist's Duty to Warn: Implications for Pharmacy Practice New Products Viewpoint

Drug Topics - December 12, 2008

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