HealthPartners’ Publication: A Personalized Pharmacist for Members
When her son Giacomo turned 2, Liz Naylor knew that something about his health wasn’t right. After years of clinic visits, hospital stays and tests, she learned he had a rare inherited condition called myotonic dystrophy.
Myotonic dystrophy is a degenerative neuromuscular disorder that affects virtually every organ system in the body. It causes physical and cognitive impairments and has no cure.
“It’s a complex health condition and managing it requires continuous care, medications and appointments,” says Liz, whose three other children also inherited the disease. “We don’t have the luxury of wasting time.”
Which is why Liz was skeptical when she received a phone call about no-cost medication therapy management (MTM) that was available through her HealthPartners health plan.
“They caught me on a good day though,” she says. “I told them, ‘you have 15 minutes to impress me.’”
A personal pharmacist
Impress they did. The call was with Perfecting Peds, a MTM service provider that we contract with to enhance support for our youngest members with complex health care needs. Liz had a second call with a MTM clinical pharmacist who reviewed Giacomo’s health history, past and current medications and supplements.
They recommended decreasing dosages on some medications, stopping others that were designed for acute situations, and spacing out his daily steroid injection and magnesium supplement. It turned out, the magnesium was preventing the steroid from working optimally because they were administered too close together.
“The fewer the medications, the better. There’s less chance of contraindications,” says Liz, who shared the detailed MTM recommendations with her son’s care team at another local health system. “The one-on-one pharmacist support helped soften the edges around a hard situation. It felt like a life preserver. It didn’t feel like we were going behind our doctors’ backs because MTM is part of the health care system.”
Liz then used Perfecting Peds’ services for her other children. After her family’s positive experiences, she even pursued employment with the company and now works there.
High value, huge opportunity
MTM is a valuable service for people of all ages who use medications. HealthPartners has a large network of MTM pharmacists to deliver these services, in addition to working with vendor partners like Perfecting Peds for specific populations. Our data show that our MTM services deliver a 3:1 return on investment and this individualized pharmacy support improves health outcomes, too.
Our MTM and consumer experience marketing teams are working to increase the number of members who take advantage of this no-cost service. We’re reaching out to more than 30,000 higher-risk members to introduce them to this little-known service. Personalized communications by email, letter, and in-app messages encourage members to take advantage of available incentives for participating in MTM and search for nearby in-network MTM pharmacists.
“The general public usually doesn’t have a clue what MTM is. But once they’re in the door, they love it,” says Dan Rehrauer, director of clinical pharmacy program and pharmacy quality. “It makes sure people get all the good and none of the bad from their medications, allowing them to be as healthy as possible which in turn reduces health care costs. It’s highly personalized and enhances the health care experience. It checks all the boxes we want it to check.”
About HealthPartners
HealthPartners is a nonprofit, integrated healthcare organization committed to improving the health and well-being of its members, patients, and the communities it serves. Based in Minnesota, HealthPartners and its affiliated organizations provide high-quality healthcare services, HMO coverage, and insurance to nearly one million members. With a focus on innovation, collaboration, and patient-centered care, HealthPartners strives to enhance access to affordable, comprehensive healthcare solutions. Learn more at HealthPartners.com.
About Perfecting Peds
Perfecting Peds is the first dedicated solution for long-term pediatric medication management, bridging the gap between pediatric pharmacists and patient care beyond the hospital setting. Before Perfecting Peds, board-certified pediatric pharmacists were primarily limited to hospitals. Now, through an innovative telehealth platform, we connect directly with pediatric patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers to optimize medication management in collaboration with care teams and health plans. Our interactive, patient-centered approach ensures that children receive the safest and most effective treatments, all conveniently scheduled around the needs of families. Learn more at PerfectingPeds.com.