WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Kerr Drug and Walgreens were recognized for excellence in medication therapy management (MTM) services by OutcomesMTM.
The MTM solution provider said Tuesday named Walgreens as the Top Large Pharmacy Chain and Kerr Drug as the Top Regional Pharmacy Chain for their MTM efforts and programs.
OutcomesMTM also cited 25 chain and independent pharmacies as top-performing MTM Centers. Retail pharmacy chains earning this recognition included Walgreens, Rite Aid, Kmart, Kroger, Supervalu, Meijer, Fred’s, Kerr Drug and Winn-Dixie.
Last year, Walgreens designed a new pharmacy workflow for its comprehensive medication review service, and the drug chain’s commitment to providing high-quality MTM service to patients is also shown by its development of pharmacy performance monitoring reports for its store locations, according to OutcomesMTM.
"Walgreens once again proved adept at adjusting the operations of its 8,000-plus locations to meet the evolving needs of health plans across the country," Dan Rodriguez, OutcomesMTM director of provider services, said in a statement. "When you combine their performance in key MTM program metrics with a willingness to collaborate on the vision of where the profession is going, their intention to lead the industry is clear."
In 2012, Walgreens collaborated with OutcomesMTM to pilot a care transition MTM program. Walgreens was also named the top chain in 2010.
"Community pharmacists are well-positioned to support patients in managing their conditions and addressing the variety of issues they may face each day," stated Kermit Crawford, Walgreens’ president of pharmacy, health and wellness. "From counseling patients on their medications to recommending ways around barriers to adherence, medication therapy management is helping to close gaps in therapy and resolve drug therapy problems. Our community pharmacists are practicing at the top of their license and playing a valuable role in helping to improve health outcomes."
This year marked the fourth time in the last six years that Kerr Drug has been recognized as a top performer, OutcomesMTM noted. With 96% of pharmacies participating, Kerr Drug was a leader in the identification and resolution of medication-related problems, and MTM services delivered by Kerr Drug pharmacists last year resulted in nearly $15 million in avoided health care costs.
"We are extremely pleased once again to be recognized with this accomplishment. We have worked very hard to have MTM services integrated into the daily practice of pharmacy at Kerr Drug," commented Mark Gregory, senior vice president store operations for Kerr Drug. "Most of all, we are proud of the impact our pharmacists have had on the thousands of patients who have benefited from these invaluable services."
Named as leading MTM Centers by OutcomesMTM were Walgreens pharmacies in New Hampshire, Maryland, Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois, Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota, California and Arizona; Rite Aid pharmacies in New York and Washington state; a Supervalu Sav-on pharmacy in New Jersey; Kroger pharmacies in Ohio and West Virginia; Kerr Drug’s pharmacy in Sparta, N.C.; a Winn-Dixie pharmacy in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; a Meijer pharmacy in Michigan; a Fred’s pharmacy in Mississippi; and a Kmart pharmacy in Las Vegas.
To be eligible for selection, a pharmacy must have achieved a "Best in Class" designation from OutcomesMTM and provided a broad range of covered services. Selection of Top MTM Centers, OutcomesMTM said, is driven by factors such as patients served, TIP metrics and comprehensive medication review performance.
