SCOTTSDALE Ariz. – The NCPDP Foundation announced today that its Board of Trustees has approved a $140,000 research grant to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Campbell University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences to evaluate and expand a value-based care initiative aimed at improving health outcomes for patients with diabetes and hypertension in rural communities.
The initiative, More Than a Script, partners with independently owned community pharmacies in rural areas of North Carolina, where residents often face barriers such as long travel distances, limited provider availability, and inadequate transportation. Through an internship-based expansion model, student pharmacists from Campbell University will be embedded in participating pharmacies to serve as clinical service coaches and help implement pharmacist-led chronic care management services alongside routine dispensing workflows.
"The NCPDP Foundation Board of Trustees is proud to approve this grant because it brings value-based care to where it is needed most, to rural communities where independent community pharmacies are often the most accessible point of care," said J.W. Hill, MBAHCM, Executive Director of the NCPDP Foundation. "By pairing pharmacist-led interventions for diabetes and hypertension with standards-based, interoperable documentation, this research will generate practical evidence that helps strengthen coordination of care and improve outcomes for patients."
The grant-funded research will document implementation and patient engagement and will assess outcomes for patients receiving pharmacist-led interventions compared with a matched cohort who do not. Measures will include changes in hemoglobin A1c and blood pressure control, medication adherence, and healthcare utilization such as emergency department visits and inpatient hospitalizations.
"With one of the highest numbers of rural counties in the nation, North Carolina faces unique access‑to‑care challenges. This NCPDP grant allows us to expand More Than a Script into additional rural communities, where community pharmacies optimize medication use, improve adherence, prevent avoidable complications, and connect people to cost‑saving options—while also strengthening integration and supporting disease‑state management—ultimately helping make health care more affordable." said Brenden O'Hara, RPh, BCACP, FAMCP, FNCAP, Director of Corporate Pharmacy, Clinical Engagement and Professional Advancement at BCBS North Carolina.
This grant is funded through donations from Pathfinder organizational donors including FDB (First Databank, Inc.), CoverMyMeds, and RedSail Technologies, as well as donations from our generous Advocate, Patron, 1977 Society, and Friend level donors.
