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2003 Press Releases

NCPA, Outcomes Pharmaceutical Health Care Launch Initiative To Promote Pharmacist Care Services
NCPA, Outcomes Pharmaceutical Health Care Launch Initiative To Promote Pharmacist Care Services
Alexandria, Virginia - November 06, 2003

In its continuing effort to obtain payment for independent community pharmacists' professional and patient care services, the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) has entered into a partnership with Des Moines, Iowa-based Outcomes Pharmaceutical Health Care (Outcomes) to promote Outcomes' medication management system as an approach to improve health care quality, control costs, and secure payment for pharmacists' services.

Outcomes' network of "Personal Pharmacists"™. Outcomes Personal Pharmacists use their in-depth knowledge of drug safety, effectiveness, compatibility, and cost to identify and monitor the most effective medications to treat each covered patient's conditions - getting the best results at the lowest cost. "The health care marketplace is learning that merely dispensing medications to patients is an expensive undertaking - with less than spectacular results," said Outcomes' CEO Tom Halterman. "Incorporating community pharmacists as medication managers is vital to achieving the desired results from drug therapy." Any licensed pharmacist may become an Outcomes Personal Pharmacist. There are currently more than 1,000 such pharmacists across the United States, a servicing Outcomes' client list that includes municipalities, school systems, unions, larger private employers, and government payors.
 
NCPA's partnership with Outcomes has two components. First, NCPA will assist Outcomes in identifying health plans to adopt the Outcomes model that measures and rewards pharmacists for improving health care quality and controlling costs. Second, Outcomes will make its patient care network available to NCPA members. "Thousands of NCPA members have participated in our comprehensive National Institute for Pharmacist Care Outcomes (NIPCO) disease management training programs to better serve their patients. Having them recognized and reimbursed for their services is paramount," said Bruce Roberts, R.Ph., NCPA's executive vice president and CEO. "By entering into this partnership with Outcomes we believe this offers a solution to companies - both large and small - looking for alternatives to PBMs, which actually does control their spend on pharmaceuticals. This model can deliver on controlling costs and paying pharmacists for what they do best - help patients maximize the effectiveness of their medication." NCPA will roll out a marketing campaign to promote its relationship with Outcomes in the coming months. For more information about enrolling your health plan with Outcomes or becoming an Outcomes Personal Pharmacist, contact the Outcomes office at 515-237-0001 or visit http://www.getoutcomes.com/. The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) represents the nation's community pharmacists, including the owners of nearly 24,000 pharmacies. The nation's independent pharmacies, independent pharmacy franchises, and independent chains represent a $67 billion marketplace, dispensing nearly half of the nation's three billion retail prescription medicines.