As a job title, ‘drug case manager’ can imply different things across the health-care and benefits industries. In Canada, a drug case manager may be part of a drug manufacturer’s patient support program or an insurance company’s preferred pharmacy network, while hospitals have case managers at various levels, says Suzanne Nagy, drug consulting leader for […]
Treating mental health with medications is very different from treating an infection, so why do many people, and many employers, treat them like they’re one and the same? When enhancing communications around wellness programs, plan sponsors should seek innovative ways to support employees with how they use medications and help them understand the interactions between drugs and mental […]
Express Scripts Canada is appointing Dr. Dorian Lo as president following Michael Biskey’s retirement from the position in the first quarter of 2019. Lo is a Canadian physician with international experience in health care, pharmacy and pharmacy benefits management. He’s currently managing director of group strategy and health care at Rajawali Corp., an investment holding company in […]
Virtual health-care company Teladoc Health is launching a specialty pharmacy services product aimed at combatting rising prescription drug costs using analytics and medical opinions. “So many people find themselves taking a medication for an extended period of time with limited or no benefit and without the opportunity to fully understand why or learn of alternatives,” said […]
Green Shield Canada is launching a rating tool that allows plan members to search ratings when looking for a pharmacy. Through the insurer’s app, members can access the rating tool to measure a pharmacy’s health outcomes. The five-star system bases its ratings on the promotion of good adherence to drug therapy, care for chronic disease and the safe dispensing […]
Achieving radiant health through nutrition is an ancient trend that southern Alberta pharmacist Melissa Hozack is helping to revive. “In 400 BC, Hippocrates said, ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.’ How can we promote health instead of looking at sick care?” said Hozack, a consultant pharmacist and owner of Redcliff Pharmasave, at […]
On Sept. 25 in Mississauga, Ont., the 2018 Pharmacy Solutions in Drug Plan Management Forum presented five sessions looking at the value that pharmacy brings to private drug plans, benefits plan member experience and health outcomes. Here are some of the highlights of the sessions: Leveraging pharmacy services to improve care, drive value As pharmacists’ […]
As pharmacists’ scope of practice continues to evolve to meet changing health-care needs, plan sponsors need to leverage these services to improve care and drive value, according to one expert. “I truly think pharmacy services have great value. But there is a huge misunderstanding or even lack of awareness of what pharmacists can provide and […]
While type 2 diabetes is generally considered to be a chronic, progressive condition, a recent clinical trial showed that with pharmacist-led therapeutic nutritional intervention, reversal is a realistic goal. As Sean McKelvey, chief executive officer of the Institute for Personalized Therapeutic Nutrition, told attendees at the 2018 Pharmacy Solutions in Drug Plan Management Forum in […]
Many effective strategies exist when it comes to managing specialty drug costs, but a coordinated approach that takes the financial, clinical and pharmacy elements into account is key to achieving a balance between access and spending, according to Telus Health’s Cory Cowan. Cowan, the organization’s director of professional services, told attendees at the 2018 Pharmacy […]