Members Need The Right Drug At The Right Dose

Thirty-two million Americans are taking three or more prescription drugs.

Of those, 53 percent are taking the wrong drug or the wrong dose resulting in 7 million preventable medication errors, 7,000 preventable deaths, and $21B in direct annual medical costs.

And some of these are your members.

A SOLUTION

Fortunately, there’s a simple test that can drastically reduce those numbers.

Pharmacogenomic testing (PGx) – completed with a simple oral rinse – identifies how an individual’s unique genetic makeup reacts with specific drugs. Due to changes in DNA, many people have a slower response or no response at all to specific medications, while others may experience increased side-effects.

PGx makes it easier for your members and their doctors to find the right drug at the right dose without sometimes fatal, adverse pharmacy outcomes.

“Adverse Drug Interactions (ADI) are the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S., and Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR) cause more than 100,000 deaths per year,” says Dr. David Merritt, PharmD, RPh, chief pharmacist at Prescription Care Management.

“PGx testing can greatly decrease these outcomes by taking the guesswork out of prescribing,” he adds. “When patients avoid harmful drugs and are prescribed optimal drugs, their pharmacy outcomes are vastly more positive.”

EMPLOYER RESPONSIBILITY

A focus on finding the right drug at the right dose starts with you - the employer.

PGx reduces medical costs for physician visits and hospitalization, decreases member absenteeism for doctor visits and sick days, and creates a more healthful, productive workforce. But more importantly, it improves member health.

“Employers can foster a culture of pharmacy wellness by providing PGx testing for their high-risk members who consume most of their medical budget and have the greatest potential for adverse pharmacy outcomes,” says Merritt. “And as an added benefit, PGx can cut group drug spend.”

FIND SAVINGS

With PGx, you can find additional savings on medical costs while promoting a pharmacy benefit focused on reducing ADRs, improving member health and ultimately saving lives.

“We already have clients who are helping their members with this innovative approach,” adds Merritt. “PGx testing is a long-term solution to achieve better healthcare outcomes while decreasing drug and medical expenditures for the patient and client.”

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To learn more about this innovative approach to improving outcomes and cutting costs, join us for our upcoming webinar ‘Pharmacogenomics: Reduced Drug Spend. Improved Health.’ on Tuesday, January 15 at 2 p.m. Register today.