On-site wellness clinics can be an effective entry point for pharmacy services. Based on its data from such programs in the workplace, MHCSI Managed Health Care Services Inc. has found that about a third of plan members are at risk of chronic disease and a third are at very high risk, noted Leanne MacFarlane, MHCSI’s senior director, business development.
“We found that a lot of the things we can do really come down to helping people with the fundamentals, and there is a lot of receptivity to having this type of care in the workplace,” said MacFarlane.
The Ontario Pharmacists Association’s (OPA) new chronic disease management program, for diabetes initially, aims to drive employee wellness at work by building upon the health-status findings uncovered at work-site clinics. Participating pharmacists work with employees to foster higher levels of engagement in managing their condition. “We are taking employees’ health and wellness in a different direction, and begin where they are—in the workplace,” said Allan Malek, senior vice-president, professional affairs, with the OPA.
A key requirement, however, is access, which is typically tied to funding. “If we’re not aligning benefits plan designs to support the types of services that we know are going to support individuals over the long term, then we’re really missing the mark,” said MacFarlane.
All the articles from the event can be found in our special section: 2015 Pharmacy Solutions in Drug Plan Management Conference Coverage.
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