Dedicate Pharmacy Advocate Program

As a member of Veterans Care Plus, a pharmacy team is available to work directly with you and your physician to optimize your medications for maximum cost savings and health improvement.  This unique program is unlike any service offered by other pharmacy plans.  Our dedicated pharmacy staff specialize in improving patients’ lives through cost effective medication management, meaning the identification of effective therapy options at the lowest available price.  They work with you and your physician on a personal level to help ensure that your drug regimen consists of the most cost effective medications available for the treatment of your particular condition. 

First Step: Medication Optimization

The Dedicated Pharmacy Advocate Program has two main components.  The first is “medication optimization.”  Once you enroll, a highly trained clinical pharmacist will review your complete medication profile including over-the-counter drugs.   He or she will identify not only safety concerns such as drug or food interactions but also potential therapeutic or cost saving improvements.  A Clinical Solutions pharmacist will contact you by telephone to discuss the suggestions and answer any questions you may have about the recommendations. 
 
Second Step: Medication Advocacy

The second component of the program is “medication advocacy.”  With your approval, the clinical pharmacist will contact your physician directly and discuss the possible cost-saving and/or therapy-improving changes.  Your physician will then decide what is best for you based on many different factors.  Having a dedicated clinical pharmacist act as an advocate on your behalf is especially helpful to individuals who may feel intimidated or unprepared to discuss their medications directly with their physician.

What is Clinical Pharmacy?

In 1970 there were only 650 medications on the market.  Today there are over 10,000.  As a result, the practice of pharmacy has evolved from primarily a dispensing function to an essential component of the 21st century healthcare team.  Clinical pharmacy encompasses the patient’s entire drug therapy and how it relates to the patient’s global healthcare plan.  Every aspect of medication management is monitored including drug selection, safety, efficacy, outcomes, education, and cost.  Clinical pharmacy decreases adverse effects, increases cost-effectiveness, enhances prescribing patterns and improves quality of care.   

What do clinical pharmacists do?

• Review your medication profile to identify potential drug/drug or drug/food
  interactions that could lead to adverse effects
• Educate you about the proper use of your medication such as proper dosing to
  avoid side effects while maximizing effectiveness
• Review the cost associated with your medications to determine if there may be a
  more affordable treatment available that would maintain or improve your current
  quality of care
• Discuss options that may make your drug regimen more affordable like when
  splitting tablets would or would not be appropriate
• Work directly with your physician to help ensure that your medication regimen is
  the safest, most effective and most affordable available

Proven Results

A majority of Pharmacy Advocate recommendations are approved by the prescribing physician and almost always result in significant costs savings to the patient.  It is not uncommon that a small change results in a $100 per month savings.  For example, some medications are commonly dosed twice daily even though once daily dosing is approved.  Often, to reduce costs, a higher strength tablet can be taken once daily (i.e. 20mg once daily vs. 10mg twice daily) without a decrease in effectiveness.  Sometimes, a change in medication is recommended.  Amazingly, there are only three brand-name only medications in the most 100 prescribed in 2005 that have no generic alternative.  The alternative may be another medication in the same drug class, or it may be one in a similar drug class.  The Clinical Solutions pharmacist team will evaluate your specific case and work with you on a personal level to optimize your medication therapy.