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WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health announced a suite of new digital tools last month aimed at helping customers manage their health with more ease and efficiency.
The company noted that the new digital tools were developed specifically to address issues facing CVS Health customers. The tools include the following:
• Apple Watch app integration — The CVS/pharmacy mobile app is now Apple watch compatible, to help notify customers when prescriptions are ready and make it easy to refill prescriptions and check information at a glance. The app is also supported on mobile phones and tablets — making it accessible wherever CVS customers are.
• Scan paper script — According to CVS Health research, it is estimated that a third of prescriptions are never filled. This tool enables customers to quickly and conveniently start the prescription fill process by capturing a photo of their written prescription through the CVS/caremark mobile app.
• Insurance card scan — Customers can easily share new insurance information with their pharmacist by taking a photo of their insurance card, instantly updating data across all store systems. This tool not only removes the hassle for customers, but also frees up thousands of hours for CVS pharmacists, who can focus on speaking with patients instead of entering insurance information.
• MedRemind — This function, which is now deployed in the CVS/pharmacy iPhone mobile app, helps customers stay on track with their medication schedules by enabling them to customize reminders to take their prescriptions at the right time and notifications to caregivers when a dose is missed. It also includes text reminders and the ability to receive reminders on the Apple watch. This solution directly aims to combat forgetfulness, a common reason for nonadherence.
• In-store pharmacy messages — Among retailers, CVS/pharmacy said it has the largest deployment of beacon technology, and customers who have the CVS/pharmacy app installed on their mobile phone and who opt in to receive push notifications will be notified if their prescription is ready for refill or pickup when they enter the store. By providing customers with actionable reminders when and where they are most effective, CVS said it is finding new ways to drive adherence.
CVS said that since the opening of the CVS Health Digital Innovation Lab in June, its digital technology team has been focused on developing digital services and personalized capabilities that enable people to manage their health wherever they are.
“Our digital innovation model is the synthesis of strategic partnership and rapid experimentation, and this new suite of tools — some of the first to emerge from our digital innovation lab — shows how effective our approach can be,” said Brian Tilzer, senior vice president and chief digital officer at CVS Health. “By addressing real problems, including medication adherence, through digital tools that are designed to make tasks easier and more convenient, we’re supporting our overall company strategy — to help people live healthier lives.”
According to the CVS Health Research Institute, pharmacy customers enrolled in digital and online programs demonstrate better medication adherence and reduced health care costs overall. Preliminary research from the CVS Health Research Institute shows that those patients who enrolled online at CVS.com, Caremark.com or CVSspecialty.com were more likely to fill their prescriptions and adhere to their medications.
Among CVS/caremark members with common chronic conditions such as hypertension, 10% more members improved their medication adherence to optimal levels after enrolling online at Caremark.com compared to members who did not enroll. In addition, CVS/caremark clients could save up to $2.3 million in medical cost avoidance annually per 100,000 registered users.
