MINNETONKA, Minn. — UnitedHealthcare announced the winners of the 2013 UnitedHealthcare Medication Adherence Targeted Intervention Program (TIP) Challenge benefiting the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation.
The health insurer said Wednesday that it presented a $100,000 donation to the foundation on behalf of the winning pharmacies at the 15th annual NACDS Foundation Dinner in New York City earlier this month.
UnitedHealthcare donated $10,000 to the NACDS Foundation on behalf of each of the winning pharmacies, five large retail pharmacy chains and five small retail pharmacy chains/independent pharmacies.
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At the NACDS Foundation annual dinner, UnitedHealth presented a donation on behalf of the winning pharmacies in its Medication Adherence TIP Challenge. Pictured from left: Kathleen Jaeger, president, NACDS Foundation; Nick Shutwell, vice president, strategic alliances and business development, UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement; Ryan Fulton, senior director, strategic alliances and business development, UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement; Laura Crandon, vice president, UnitedHealth Group Alliances; Kirk Pumphrey, vice president, Medicare Part D product, UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement; and Steve Anderson, president and CEO, NACDS. |
In the large retail chain category, the winning pharmacies were Walgreens, Hy-Vee, Fred’s, Giant Eagle, New Albertson’s Inc. and Supervalu Inc.
The winning pharmacies in the small retail chain and independent pharmacy category were Discount Drug Mart (Medina, Ohio), Navarro Discount Pharmacy (Medley, Fla.), Kerr Drug (Raleigh, N.C.), LI Script LLC (Woodbury, N.Y.) and Sunshine State Pharmacy (Coral Springs, Fla.).
The winners of the 2013 Medication Adherence TIP Challenge "markedly improved" medication adherence among a group of UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage-Part D plan members, according to UnitedHealthcare. The insurer said it notified the participating pharmacies of customers who could benefit from medication therapy management (MTM) services based on their risk for medication nonadherence.
For example, customers with a pattern of not filling prescriptions or picking up refills were flagged for the participating pharmacies, UnitedHealthcare said. Pharmacists then worked with those customers via one-on-one consultations to help address their barriers to medication adherence, such as the cost of their medications, memory problems that cause them to forget to take their medications, or confusion related to the complexity of their medication regimens. When appropriate, pharmacists also informed customers’s doctors of opportunities to consider evidence-based therapy protocols that could benefit the customer.
The pharmacies in each challenge category were ranked based on their customers’ medication adherence rates. The top five pharmacies in each category were recognized as the winners.
"We are grateful for the generous donation from UnitedHealthcare and appreciate the opportunity to be the beneficiary of its unique competition to encourage medication adherence among members of its Medicare plans," Kathleen Jaeger, president of the NACDS Foundation, said in a statement.
UnitedHealthcare said it created the challenge to recognize the pharmacies in its network that have been most successful at helping its Medicare Advantage-Part D plan members take their medications as prescribed.
"Seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries who follow their medication regimen as prescribed by their physician are taking an important step in achieving optimal well-being, and many of them turn to their pharmacist for help and guidance," stated Jack Larsen, chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement. "We applaud the winning pharmacies in our Medication Adherence TIP Challenge who take their role in helping to improve their customers health seriously."
