University and college of pharmacy collaboration to control health plan prescription drug costs.

摘要

OBJECTIVE: To describe the Raising Energy and Awareness in Campus Health (REACH) program, an innovative pharmacy practice model implemented within a self-insured employer. SETTING: University of Kentucky, Lexington. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: A self-funded university-based health plan. PRACTICE INNOVATION/INTERVENTIONS: As part of a university-wide effort to control rising health care costs for 24,000 employees and dependents, four novel pharmacist services encompassed in the REACH program were provided: Co-Pay Counseling; Good Medicines; OutREACH; and Disease Management and Health Promotion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: University health plan expenditures and health plan member out-of-pocket expenses for prescription medications. RESULTS: The REACH services were provided by 3.5 full-time equivalent pharmacists. Pharmacists evaluated health plan members' medications and conditions in an effort to identify more cost-effective treatment regimens in the Co-Pay Counseling program; provided confidential medication regimen review in the Good Medicines effort; provided informational programs at worksites within the university in the Out-REACH service; and worked with plan members and their health providers to prevent and/or minimize the impact of diseases such as diabetes and dyslipidemias. The overall university program and medication coinsurance strategy saved an estimated 1.6 million dollars in 2003-04. CONCLUSION: This unique package of employee benefits and services enabled the University of Kentucky to slow the growth of health care expenditures. Pharmacists were an important element in this effort.