Four health metrics moving in the right direction thanks to Rite Aid Health Alliance

BOSTON - If today's healthcare is measured in palpable outcomes, then Rite Aid's Health Alliance program is proving the value a retail pharmacy provider brings to the overall equation. On average, patients participating in the Rite Aid Health Alliance are 36% more adherent to their medications; they've lost an average of 7.7 pounds; they have a 39% reduction in blood pressure; and they've lowered their blood sugar by 36%. 

 

Medication persistence and blood pressure control influence 75% of the predictive savings, noted Jocelyn Konrad, group VP pharmacy initiatives and clinical services for Rite Aid, during the Health Dialog webinar titled "The Retailers Are Coming! The Retailers Are Coming! And they want to collaborate to improve patient engagement and clinical results."

 

"The key to this program is that the pharmacist and the care coach work together with [their] patient to achieve the goals and ultimately to improve outcomes," Konrad said. 

 

"We're trying to do this transition, this very tricky transition, from fee-for-service to fee-for-value," Peter Goldbach, chief medical officer for Health Dialog and Rediclinic, told participants. "If you take a consumer-centric view of the world today - they don't really have a lot of time; they've found it difficult to engage providers and get care in a way that fits into their lifestyle; and they're very focused on convenience. That's a great opening for retail." 

 

There are a number of drivers behind this shift in consumer-centric care, Goldbach noted. First, there is the primary care physician shortage that is being exasperated by fewer medical students choosing primary care as a career track even as the demand for PCPs continues to rise. Second, with the Affordable Care Act, there is a greater emphasis on population health models of care. Third, consumers are increasingly footing the bill for their health. 

 

There are also a number of factors enabling consumer-centric care, Goldbach added, including the Internet, which has empowered consumers to better self-diagnose and evaluate treatment options, and technological advances, which are enabling more outpatient care. 

 

In addition to the Rite Aid Health Alliance, Rite Aid is delivering better health outcomes through its RediClinic, which is in more than 70 locations in seven markets, and its telehealth pilot in Ohio with HealthSpot.