ST. LOUIS, April 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Guided by the
principles of simplification, choice, and competition, Express
Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX) today announced the launch of a new,
innovative 12-month pilot for a performance-based retail pharmacy
network for commercial plans designed to optimize medication
therapy, improve medication adherence, and promote better
outcomes. The pilot will examine the impact of rewarding
pharmacies that fill prescriptions for Express Scripts members and
demonstrate a positive improvement on individual members'
medication adherence for conditions such as diabetes, hypertension,
and asthma.
"Pharmacists are one of the most trusted of all healthcare
professionals and their frequent interactions with our members
present enormous opportunities to positively impact patient
health," said Amy Bricker, RPh,
President, Supply Chain, Express Scripts. "We have supported
quality-based retail network for Medicare plans for several years
now, and this new pilot will draw from that experience, as well as
our strong relationships with the pharmacies in our networks, to
test the impact of this innovative, value-driven network for
commercial plan sponsors."
How it Works
The pilot program will launch in fall 2018 and focus on the
unique needs of each participating client's patient population. The
pilot metrics are recognized by the Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA)
and participating pharmacies will be able to track their own
performance and identify gaps in care via a web portal.
Leveraging actionable data and clinical experience, Express
Scripts will work collaboratively with each pharmacy participating
in the quality network pilot program to provide them with the
necessary tools to measure and guide their performance. Retailers
will compete against each other in the network pilot, thus
incentivizing them to continuously improve their performance
through relative assessment, rather than predefined benchmarks.
Tailored Solutions
For this pilot, participating plan sponsors, such as employers
and health plans, will have the ability to select the four therapy
classes where they would like to see an improvement in medication
adherence -- for example, diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension or
asthma -- that will be used to measure each pharmacy's performance.
Highlighting the unique needs of a plan sponsor's member population
leads to more meaningful improvements in medication adherence and
outcomes.
"We have the ability to work across the pharmacy value chain and
to develop new solutions that improve the health of our members --
solutions that held the growth rate in drug spending to just 1.5
percent in 2017 and delivered $32
billion in savings," said Ms. Bricker. "Through this pilot
program, we will work collaboratively with our clients and our
network partners to test and learn how to make a quality network
program successful for all involved."
Broader Implications
Express Scripts is committed to simplifying and improving the
pharmacy experience for our more than 80 million patients.
Our nation spent more than $3.3
trillion on healthcare in 2016 and it is critical that we
generate better value for that spending. Improved medication
adherence and aligning incentives is just one way Express Scripts
is working to improve health care. Our industry-leading clinical
programs and specialized pharmacy care are providing solutions –
not available anywhere else in the market – to patients managing
complex conditions. Through better data sharing and integrated
care, Express Scripts is helping our members and clients manage
their healthcare, avoid downstream costs, and lead fuller, richer
lives.
About Express Scripts
Express Scripts is leading the way for tens of millions of
people by aligning with plan sponsors, taking bold action and
delivering patient-centered care to make better health more
affordable and accessible.
Headquartered in St. Louis,
Express Scripts provides a full range of integrated pharmacy
benefit management services, including home delivery pharmacy care,
specialty pharmacy care and benefit management, benefit-design
consultation, drug utilization review, formulary management and
medical and drug data analysis, that guide patients and plans
toward better health by prioritizing care and increasing savings.
Our services drive down the cost of care for employer-funded,
Medicare, Medicaid and Public Exchange plans, and create the
headroom needed to keep patients' cost-share low, access broad, and
do more for those who are challenged by high out-of-pocket costs.
Express Scripts also distributes a full range of biopharmaceutical
products and offers innovative medical benefit management
services.
For more information, visit Lab.Express-Scripts.com or follow
@ExpressScripts on Twitter.
Media Contact:
Phil
Blando
202-258-4978
pjblando@express-scripts.com
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SOURCE Express Scripts