evade About 117 million Americans currently live with a chronic health condition, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cancer, and obesity. 1 For nearly 90 percent of people with chronic and complex diseases, prescription medication is the first and logical choice for medical intervention. Unfortunately, up to 50 percent don t take their medications, and as many as one third don t have their prescriptions filled in the first place. Unfortunately, between $100 and $300 billion of avoidable health care costs in the United States, as well as the loss of tens of thousands of lives, are attributed to medication non-adherence each year. 2 That s why CVS Health is employing a number of strategies to increase medication adherence and improve patient outcomes. Cost is often a barrier to medication adherence. Rising drug prices affect everyone, with double-digit price hikes for brand name drugs becoming more common. This not only can jeopardize access to medications, it puts financial strain on patients and taxpayers. In fact, brand price inflation was a key driver of total drug spending in 2016, which reached a record high of $450 billion. 3 And in a recent survey of American voters, our poll found that 21 percent of respondents put off filling a prescription because of concerns about affordability. 4 CVS Caremark, our pharmacy benefit management business (PBM), uses multiple strategies to help protect consumers from rising drug prices, including competition to negotiate discounts, promoting the appropriate use of lower-cost, clinically equivalent medicines and developing innovative approaches to lower patients out-of-pocket costs at the pharmacy. We also developed the capability for PBM clients to apply negotiated discounts at the point of sale, to reduce a member s out-of-pocket cost for a prescription. Pharmacists can influence patients to stay compliant with medications. Pharmacists are among the most accessible health care providers, and thanks to their frequent interaction with patients, are in a unique position to assist. They can help coordinate care, spot red flags, and offer solutions such as prescription refill reminders and the ScriptSync medication synchronization program to encourage patients with chronic conditions to stay adherent to their medication and treatment plans. 5 In fact, research has shown that patients with chronic conditions who receive support from pharmacists are more likely to reach their blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol goals. 6 In addition to day-to-day interactions with patients, CVS Pharmacy s Pharmacy Advisor program engages CVS Caremark plan members who are diagnosed with chronic conditions either face-to-face when they fill prescriptions at CVS Pharmacy or by phone for members who choose mail service pharmacy. For more information about CVS Health s efforts to improve pharmacy care, visit our Health Care Innovation & Delivery information center . And to stay informed about the most talked-about topics in health care, register for content alerts and our bi-weekly health care newsletter . 1 https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/overview/ 2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3934668/ 3 QuintilesIMS Institute. (2017). Medicines Use and Spending in the U.S. A Review of 2016 and Outlook to 2021. Retrieved 4 https://cvshealth.com/thought-leadership/by-the-numbers-how-health-consumers-weigh-cost-and-quality 5 http://www.pharmacytoday.org/article/S1042-0991(15)31968-X/fulltext 6 http://annals.org/aim/article/2517407/pharmacist-led-chronic-disease-management-systematic-review-effectiveness-harms-compared 08.11.17 Related Articles U.S. Health Care Evolution & Outlook: Merlo at Economic Club of New York CVS Health President & CEO Larry Merlo sits down with Fortune senior correspondent Susie Gharib to discuss important health care topics. Pharmacists Are Valuable Resources for Families Dealing with Chronic Conditions Children with chronic conditions face unique hurdles that can make school challenging, but pharmacists can be a valuable resource to help. Fixing Health Care s Pain Points: Merlo Addresses The Economic Club of New York CVS Health President & CEO Larry Merlo shared strategies to address three community health challenges across America. Related Press Releases 10.04.17 CVS Pharmacy Introduces ScriptPath Prescription Schedule for Patients 12.05.16 CVS Health and HHS Study Finds Proactive Pharmacy-based Outreach Helps Patients Access Needed Medications during a Natural Disaster 09.15.16 CVS Health's ScriptSync Service Marks One Year Anniversary 08.22.16 CVS Health Research Institute Study Shows Value in Tailoring Medication Adherence Interventions to Specific Patient Populations 07.07.16 CVS Health Research Institute Study Shows that Medication Reconciliation Programs Can Reduce Hospital Readmissions 01.29.16 CVS Health Research Institute Study Shows 11.4 Percentage Point Improvement in Medication Adherence Among Patients in Specialty Connect Pilot common
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