OREANDA-NEWS. July 03, 2012. McKesson, the largest healthcare services company in the country, showcased its Sponsored Clinical Services Network – the largest active patient support network with significant experience implementing adherence support programs – to hundreds of independent retail pharmacy owners and community pharmacists in attendance at McKesson ideaShare 2012. Community pharmacies who are focused on elevating their role in healthcare delivery, enhancing patient loyalty and outcomes, and seeking new reimbursement streams are adopting sophisticated behavioral adherence programs into their practice, reported the press-centre of McKesson.

“McKesson is committed to helping community pharmacists achieve their goals with pharmacy-based adherence programs centered on the patient,” said Brian Tyler, president, U.S. Pharmaceutical. “With McKesson’s partnership with many of the largest pharmaceutical manufacturers in the industry, pharmacies active in the McKesson Sponsored Clinical Services Network have been assuming an even greater role in providing patient care and services, in addition to growing their revenues. In fact, in 2011, pharmacies in our Sponsored Clinical Services Network earned USD1 million in service fees for providing patient support services and supported an estimated quarter of a million patients.”

McKesson’s Pharmacy Intervention Program, which expands patient access to one-on-one behavioral coaching from their retail pharmacists, is helping to achieve better patient care, enhance the role of the pharmacists and transition the pharmacy to a service-based business model. McKesson’s Pharmacy Intervention Program found patients who received face-to-face behavioral coaching from their pharmacists showed significant adherence benefits. For example, COPD patients who received coaching showed an average of 1.6 incremental fills over 12 months and patients coached in multiple diabetes programs showed an average of 4 incremental refills over 12 months when compared to patients who did not receive behavioral coaching.

The results indicate that the Pharmacy Intervention Program’s pharmacist training, coaching session design and ongoing resources are driving patient compliance to their medication regimens, which in turn drive increased visits and revenues to the pharmacy. In addition to reimbursement fees from sponsors associated with coaching sessions, pharmacies can benefit from increased prescription volumes, incremental front-end purchases and further enhance customer loyalty.

"Fostering patient loyalty and healthier outcomes is not only key to growing my business, but part of my role as a trusted healthcare provider in my community," said Christine Jacobson, owner , Wasatch Pharmacy Care (Ogden, UT). "By participating in McKesson's Pharmacy Intervention Program, I benefit from being part of the largest active patient support pharmacy network. This program is one example of how my wholesaler is helping me to increase prescription volumes and customer loyalty - ultimately driving better outcomes for my patients and my business."

For more information on all of McKesson's announcements from McKesson ideaShare 2012, please visit McKesson's online newsroom at www.mckesson.com/newsroom.