• By Linda Barlow  |  Oct 10, 2013

    Not Your Mother’s Big Pharma

    In a September 29 article in Adweek, Joan Voight demonstrates how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is expected to create new opportunities for pharmaceutical stakeholders to play a more active, personalized role in managing patient care through interactive web-based tools. Three aspects of the ACA will change the way treatment…more.

  • By Joel L. Zive, BS, PharmD, Adjunct Clinical Faculty at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy  |  Sep 10, 2013

    Kaiser Permanente Gives Providers Evidence-Based Tools to Increase Adherence

    At an industry conference years ago, I met an HIV-positive patient. We spoke about her treatment as well as her adherence program. “Who takes care of you?” I asked. “Kaiser Permanente,” she responded. Afterward, I did a little research and discovered this was one of the first HMOs created in…more.

    Categories: Access to Care
  • By Linda Barlow  |  Jun 6, 2013

    Patient Venture Philanthropies: Catalyzing the Development and Delivery of Therapeutic Breakthroughs

    How are patient-focused organizations making tangible advances in creating life-saving and life-enhancing therapeutic innovations? The experiences of at least two foundations show that collaboration with stakeholders across industries – private, government, academia, insurers and clinicians – is a good place to start. One example of success is JDRF (formerly the…more.

  • By Linda Barlow  |  May 16, 2013

    With a Little Help from My Friends, Family… And Apps

    “Drugs don’t work in patients who don’t take them.” – C. Everett Koop, former Surgeon General It was an idea born of near tragedy: an elderly, diabetic father who double-dosed on his insulin therapy and suffered a medical emergency. His two sons realized that if they were more involved in…more.

    Categories: Access to Care
  • By Linda Barlow  |  Apr 30, 2013

    It Takes a Community for Effective Disease Prevention and Management

    To help stem the tide and high cost of persisting disparities in U.S. health care, providers are leveraging Community Health Workers (CHWs) as critical players in improving health outcomes by successfully linking “vulnerable” patient populations to better care. Living in the communities where they work, CHWs understand what is meaningful…more.

    Categories: Access to Care
  • By Linda Barlow  |  Apr 23, 2013

    Telehealth Opens Doors to Enhance Health Outcomes and Reduce Costs

    Telehealth solutions are making significant inroads to reverse high health care expenditures and reduce noncompliance with prescription therapies – issues that especially impact those living with chronic disease. By engaging patients in health education through classes, patient portals, real-time patient-provider consultations, online discussion forums and more, telehealth strategies empower providers…more.

    Categories: Cost-Savings
  • By Linda Barlow  |  Apr 2, 2013

    Walgreens Unveils Solutions to Boost Medication Adherence

    How can health professionals enable their patients to take medications more consistently as prescribed? Personalized counseling from pharmacists and prescription refill reminders are two effective ways now shown to fuel better drug adherence, according to research from Walgreens presented March 15 at the World Congress Summit in Philadelphia. Walgreens’ community pharmacy programs…more.

  • By Linda Barlow  |  Mar 26, 2013

    Taking the Digital Leap Saves Community $20+ Million in Preventable Health Care Costs

    Hospitalizations dropped by almost 3,000 people over a two-year period in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, thanks to a variety of quality changes and investments in electronic health records (EHR). This tool collects and shares critical health information about individual patients and populations across health care settings. The nearly 11 percent drop…more.

    Categories: Cost-Savings