Effective tools to improve medication affordability and adherence

New technology solutions are changing the way clinicians prescribe medication, enabling healthcare organizations to easily find prescription options that they’re confident patients can access, afford and adhere to.

During a recent webinar, Dr. Andrew Mellin, chief medical information officer of Surescripts, led a conversation with Dr. Nele Jessel, chief medical officer of athenahealth, and Priyank Patel, owner and pharmacist of Felicity Pharmacy, about how Surescripts Real-Time Prescription Benefit and E-Prescribing are making it simpler for clinicians to choose affordable medications. They also offered best practices for implementing those tools.

1 Historical challenges to medication adherence

Prescribing a medication is one of the most meaningful tools a physician has in their toolbox to improve patients’ health outcomes. But unfortunately, providers traditionally haven’t had the information to understand circumstances that may prevent the patient from taking the medication at all or as prescribed, such as if the medication isn’t covered by their insurance or there is a high out-ofpocket cost. These factors can lead to declines in patient outcomes, by extension increasing healthcare costs. For pharmacists, customers may face “sticker shock,” resulting in a bad customer experience. Surescripts Real-Time Prescription Benefit solves for this challenge, providing clinicians and pharmacists with the information needed at the point of care to make informed prescribing decisions.

2 Real-time prescription benefit saves money and improves adherence

Surescripts Real-Time Prescription Benefit is a service installed within the electronic health record (EHR) that gives prescribers access to cost, coverage and prior authorization information directly from pharmacy benefit managers and health plans. With this knowledge, prescribers at the point of care can consider the medication options on formulary that work best for the patient, increasing that patient’s adherence and ultimately improving outcomes and experience. Pharmacists can also adopt the software to identify affordable alternatives for their customers. In analysis of 34 million electronic prescriptions made using Surescripts Real-Time Prescription Benefit, Surescripts found the patient pickup rate increased by 3.2 percentage points, and a patient saves an average of $38 per prescription.

3 The power of shared decision making

Evidence shows that patients who are more engaged in decisions regarding their care are more likely to achieve better outcomes. Surescripts Real-Time Prescription Benefit enables physicians and clinicians to include patients in decisions about their medication. By inputting the medication name, dose and frequency into the EHR during the visit with the patient, the provider can inform the patient what their out-ofpocket cost will be. A discussion can then take place about whether the patient can afford that drug or if an alternative should be discussed. If another option is needed, the provider can look for alternatives using real-time prescription benefit.

4 Faster communication with physicians and pharmacists through E-Prescribing

Another tool improving medication adherence and affordability is E-Prescribing, which allows pharmacists to message prescribers directly through the EHR. This capability is important when pharmacists recommend changing a medication for their customer because the out-of-pocket cost is too high, or a prior authorization is needed. E-Prescribing allows changes in prescriptions to happen quickly. Without E-Prescribing, pharmacists spend significant time and resources calling clinical offices to request changes in prescriptions, and nurses and physicians are pulled away from patient care.

5 Implementing real-time prescription benefit into the workflow

Both pharmacists and prescribers are used to working a certain way, so getting acquainted with a new tool will be an adjustment. Training pharmacists and prescribers to correctly use real-time prescription benefit is essential for adoption. By showing them how to use the tool quickly and effectively, they will see the benefit and integrate it into their day-to-day workflow. Correct use of Surescripts Real-Time Prescription Benefit saves prescribers and pharmacists hours of added work and resources, while also improving patient medication adherence and overall outcomes.