AHRQ Innovations Exchange | Pharmacist Coaching and Waived Copayments Lead to Better Outcomes and Lower Costs for Employees With Diabetes

Pharmacist Coaching and Waived Copayments Lead to Better Outcomes and Lower Costs for Employees With Diabetes

Summary
As part of the Maryland P3 (Patients, Pharmacists, Partnerships) ProgramTM, a pharmacist coach meets regularly with employees who have diabetes to assess their health, monitor their medications, and strengthen their self-management skills. Self-insured employers participating in the program waive participants' copayments for diabetes-related drugs and supplies. The program improved blood glucose and blood pressure control, increased the provision of recommended services, and reduced overall health care costs.

Evidence Rating
Suggestive: The evidence consists of comparisons of key outcomes measures in 176 diabetes patients who participated in the program to national and (in some cases) state averages for similar patients enrolled in commercial plans (comparisons with state averages for national commercial, national Medicare/Medicaid, Maryland Medicaid, and Maryland commercial payers).


Developing Organizations
American Pharmacists Association Foundation; Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Office of Chronic Diseases; Maryland Pharmacists Association; University of Maryland School of Pharmacy Department of Pharmacy Practice & Science
The Maryland P3 (Patients, Pharmacists, Partnerships) ProgramTM was developed by the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in partnership with the Maryland Pharmacists Association, the American Pharmacists Association Foundation, and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Date First Implemented
2006

full-text:
AHRQ Innovations Exchange | Pharmacist Coaching and Waived Copayments Lead to Better Outcomes and Lower Costs for Employees With Diabetes