Journal of managed care pharmacy : JMCP
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Pharmacological secondary prevention in patients after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has contributed substantially to reductions in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and, overall, has undergone important improvements in recent years. Nevertheless, there is still a considerable adherence gap and opportunity for improvement. ⋯ The proportion of fully adherent patients remains suboptimal, and important improvements are still possible in secondary prevention of ischemic heart disease. The combination of electronic health information systems may be very useful for monitoring adherence and evaluating the effectiveness of adherence and other quality improvement interventions.
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It has been demonstrated in previous studies that pharmacist management of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the outpatient setting not only improves diabetes-related clinical outcomes such as hemoglobin A1c but also blood pressure (BP), total cholesterol (TC), and quality of life. Improved control of BP and TC has been shown to reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which has placed a heavy economic burden on the health care system. However, no study has evaluated the cost-effectiveness of pharmacist intervention programs with respect to the long-term preventive effects on CVD outcomes among T2DM patients. ⋯ Adding pharmacists to the health care management team for diabetic patients improves the long-term CVD risks. The longer-term CVD risk reductions were shown to be more dramatic than the short-term reduction. A longer time horizon adopted by health plans in managing T2DM patients has a higher probability of making the intervention cost-effective.
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Dalfampridine (Ampyra) is indicated to improve walking in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and was found to be effective in 35%-43% of individuals with MS in clinical trials. Dalfampridine may increase seizure risk, particularly in patients with renal impairment. A U.S. managed care expert consensus panel agreed that patient access to dalfampridine is best managed by a prior authorization (PA) in accordance with the FDA-approved labeling. To ensure safe and appropriate dalfampridine use, a health plan developed and implemented a 2-phase point-of-sale PA program. ⋯ The study indicates that a dalfampridine PA program potentially improved safety and minimized dalfampridine costs. A PA program is effective in selecting appropriate utilizers for initial therapy. Addition of care management may further optimize use by encouraging adherence and tracking patient response.
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Immunosuppressive medication therapy after organ transplantation is essential for preventing transplant rejection and minimizing the need for re-transplantations. Nonadherence to immunosuppressant therapy has been identified as a major risk factor for acute complications and allograft rejection, as well as late graft rejection, and a return to dialysis after failed renal transplantation, leading to an increase in health care costs and potentially even death. ⋯ This specialty pharmacy program is associated with lower transplant-related medical costs and lower overall health care costs, as well as higher transplant medication adherence within the first year of evaluation. The positive impact of health plan program design and coordinated care and oversight by transplant pharmacology experts in a specialty pharmacy program has implications for the current health care reform and requires more research.