PRESS RELEASE National Healthcare Leaders Collaborate with PQA to Evaluate the Impact of Pharmacist-Provided Care Collaboration focused on evaluating medication use and pharmacist-driven outcomes in patients with diabetes Alexandria, Va. (October 27, 2022) – Humana (NYSE: HUM), Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and Walgreens (Nasdaq: WBA) collaborated with the Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA) to evaluate the impact of pharmacist-provided care on medication use, health and economic outcomes in patients with diabetes. The project brought together national leaders in pharmacy, care delivery, medications, and health plan administration to demonstrate the value of collaboration between pharmacists and healthcare payers in the delivery of patient-centered care. The organizations assessed the impact of Walgreens’ pharmacist-provided care program in a population of patients with diabetes. The project analyzed 382 patients who received at least one intervention from July 2020 to December 31, 2021. The evaluation focused on diabetes control and improvement, appropriate medication use and adherence, and overall health status. The pilot found that real-time engagement, outcomes prioritization and partnership collaboration and commitment are important areas of strategic focus for patient improvement. Future investigations should seek to understand the association between pharmacists’ intervention and patient outcomes, as well as which interventions are most effective. “PQA has affirmed our commitment to advancing the quality of pharmacist-provided care and services that optimize medication use, adherence and safety through our Blueprint PQA 2025 strategic plan.” PQA Chief Executive Officer Micah Cost, PharmD, MS, CAE, said. “One strategy to accomplish this goal is to provide education to the broader healthcare community regarding opportunities to close gaps of care and improve medication use quality through integration of pharmacists.” “Pfizer is committed to achieving health equity and improving health outcomes for patients and it is clear that collaboration across the entire health ecosystem is critical in improving coordinated care for patients.” Pfizer Senior Vice President, Patient Health and Impact Lead, Dr. Latif Akintade, said. “This collaboration among four industry leaders allowed us to focus on innovative ways to work together to close the gaps in patient care. Pfizer will continue to identify collaborative ways to work with leaders in healthcare to provide coordinated support for patients.” “This pilot offers more evidence that pharmacists are well-positioned to deliver care coordination in the communities they serve, and that by working closely with partners in the healthcare ecosystem, we can facilitate better continuity of care for our patients,” said Rick Gates, Senior Vice President, Walgreens Pharmacy Strategies, “Our Walgreens pharmacists counseled patients on diabetes management, addressed medication adherence, gaps in care, and overcoming barriers to achieving health goals and lowering overall cost of care. It was remarkable to work with innovative companies like Humana and PQA to enable pharmacists to use the full scope of their license.” “At Humana, our mission to help people achieve lifelong well-being requires integrated and accessible solutions. We are advocates for pharmacists and recognize their valuable position in impacting patient care and improving health outcomes through clinical partnerships,” said Bethanie Stein, Senior Vice President of Humana Pharmacy Benefit Management Services. “We appreciate this collaboration with PQA, Pfizer, and Walgreens to promote comprehensive diabetes care in a member-centric and data-driven model. Innovative partnerships like this are foundational to our mutual goals of improving health outcomes.” The COVID-19 pandemic was a factor that impacted pharmacist-patient engagement and patient participation in the program. This impact cannot be measured. The project was designed and implemented for a standard operating environment. The project put into practice recommendations from PQA’s 2019 action guide to foster the adoption of pharmacist-provided care. ### Contact: Rachel Cormier, Communications Coordinator, [email protected] |