This guest blog is one in a series by sponsors of the 2024 PQA Leadership Summit on why a large diverse clinical pharmacy network is so important to payer performance. PQA does not endorse, recommend or favor any product, service or organization that is a sponsor.

The importance of pharmacies is widely reported, with patients now visiting their pharmacists 12 times more often than their primary-care provider each year. Yet there are still challenges with effectively building a network of pharmacists to deliver clinical services in an efficient and scalable manner. Here’s three reasons why a large diverse clinical pharmacy network is so important to payer performance:

1. Pharmacists are close to patients. A growing body of research points to the high levels of trust patients place in their local pharmacists. It is not uncommon for the pharmacist-patient relationship to outdate the length of time a patient has been with their primary-care physician. Tapping into a large network of pharmacies can help payers do a better job of targeting certain groups or individuals for improved outcomes.

2. Stronger operations. Efficiencies are gained from access to an integrated, interoperable pharmacy workflow solution. For example, a health plan can implement a change, such as an adjustment to compensation policy or formulary coverage, without having to reach out to dozens of locations.

3. More targeted member interventions. Beneficiaries who share an insurance plan don’t necessarily frequent just one pharmacy for their medication refills or consultations. Some members prefer national chain pharmacies and others prefer their locally owned pharmacy down the street. But if both these locations utilize the same clinical software, it’s easier on the payer: a large pharmacy network ensures a greater number of patients can be reached with targeted interventions (e.g., diabetes medication-adherence programs). There’s less of a need to customize outreach for multiple pharmacies.

The Outcomes Difference

Outcomes® oversees the largest nationwide network of more than 65,000 retail, chain and grocery pharmacy locations, offering a portfolio of solutions for pharmacy management, medication therapy management, patient engagement, and financial insights. The scope and size of the network makes Outcomes an ideal partner for payers that want their members to access MTM services from a familiar, trusted healthcare provider.

The pharmacy network utilizes the AI-powered Outcomes platform to streamline clinical workflows. This cutting-edge, dynamic platform boasts a strong user Net Promoter Score (NPS) and has delivered over $140M in financial value across the network. Payers with internal MTM providers can also take advantage of the Outcomes platform, ensuring consistent documentation and reporting across all delivery channels. With the same innovative tools and capabilities that support 20,000 daily active users, the platform enhances efficiency and effectiveness across the entire system.

When it comes to leveraging the power of pharmacy paired with innovative technology, the size of the network really does matter. Contact Outcomes today to discover how you can harness these capabilities to enhance performance and deliver an improved member experience.