ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A new survey by the National Community Pharmacists Association finds high satisfaction among patients enrolled in medication refill synchronization programs.
NCPA said Monday that the medication synchronization study, a national phone poll of ongoing medication users ages 40 and older, conducted by Langer Research Associates, revealed widespread patient satisfaction and ways that community pharmacists can market the services to those not yet enrolled.
Among key survey findings, 83% of patients in med sync programs described them as “extremely or very” helpful in managing their medication refills, and 74% said they help improve overall adherence to their prescription regimen.
Med sync participants also may be more pharmacy-loyal, NCPA said, noting that these patients are 10% more apt to be “highly satisfied” with their pharmacy.
Half of respondents not enrolled in a med sync program reported being “very” or “somewhat” interested. Their interest rose as they learned more about the program’s components. For example, 68% of nonparticipants were “very” or “somewhat” interested in day-ahead reminders from the pharmacy that their prescriptions are ready for pickup.
In addition, NCPA has developed a promotional tool kit that provides community pharmacists with materials to raise patient awareness of med sync services. Available at ncpanet.org/smm, the kit includes a sample news release for local media, a customizable letter to the editor, sample social media posts, telephone scripts to be used by pharmacy staff and a PowerPoint presentation for use in community outreach.
“NCPA has made med sync programs such as Simplify My Meds a priority because they are truly a win-win-win situation for patients, payers and pharmacists alike,” stated NCPA chief executive officer B. Douglas Hoey. “These survey results and marketing tools will help put community pharmacists in a better position to sign up more patients for med sync programs for better health and less stress.”
In medication synchronization, all of a patient’s medications are set to be refilled on the same day. As a result, patients can make one trip to the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions each month, increasing the likelihood that they will stay on track with their long-term medications, NCPA pointed out. Coordinating prescriptions for the whole family to come due on the same day of the month, which makes pickup easier for caregivers or busy parents, is also an option, the association added.
A recent NCPA study found that med sync patients averaged over 100 more days on their medication(s) per year versus nonenrolled patients.
“Three out of the five quality measures used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as part of a health plan’s Star Ratings are about adherence,” Hoey noted. “To put it simply, community pharmacies that do a good job helping patients take their medications will be more likely to be included by health plans in their pharmacy networks.”
