CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. pharmacists have begun offering personalized reports that show how well patients are doing in following their prescription medication regimens.
The drug chain said Tuesday that consultations with its pharmacists are at the heart of the new Rite Care Prescription Advisor program, designed to foster medication adherence and, in turn, improve patient health outcomes and rein in health care costs.
Rite Aid noted that since many health conditions treated with regular medications don’t cause symptoms, many patients don’t realize that not taking prescription drugs as directed can raise their risk of health complications. The company also said that pharmacists, as one of the most accessible health care providers, are uniquely qualified to counsel on the widening variety of drugs often prescribed by several doctors specializing in different fields of care.
"We’re witnessing a new era of patient care that is more effectively utilizing community pharmacists to ensure that medications are taken as prescribed, which can lead to better patient outcomes and lower overall health care costs," Robert Thompson, executive vice president of pharmacy at Rite Aid, said in a statement. "At Rite Aid, we believe face-to-face counseling is critical to improving therapeutic outcomes. The Rite Care Prescription Advisor is a new tool designed to do just that by facilitating meaningful face-to-face counseling and enhancing the pharmacist-patient relationship."
Rite Aid said its pharmacists are already using the new reports in their day-to-day interactions with patients. And to encourage more customers to try the free Rite Care Prescription Advisor reports, the chain is placing ads in weekly newspaper circulars and including a snapshot of patients’ Rite Care Prescription Advisor report on their private prescription information, along with a recommendation to speak to their Rite Aid pharmacist for details on the program.
Patients who participate get a personalized report showing a compliance score for each prescribed medication, depicted in an easy-to-read line graph. Scores are also calculated and graphed across multiple medications used to treat the same or related health conditions and combined for an overall score based on all medications taken regularly. The reports can also be accessed online through a patient’s MyPharmacy account on the Rite Aid website.
