JOURNAL

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A M E R I C A N P H A R M A C Y C O O P E R AT I V E

Informing Independent Pharmacy

INSIDEthis issue

ISSUE #26• FEBRUARY 2016

MAC PRICINGAPNS members that experience discrepancies in MAC pricing will soon have pricing issues submitted automatically for review

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MARQUESS HONOREDAPCI Board of Directors member honored with award from national organization

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IMPROVING COMPLIANCEStudy shows two minutes is all it takes to improve patient understanding of their prescription medication

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Convention programs to focus on clinical practice,

revenue generationTurning clinical practice into revenue generation is the common thread that runs throughout the slate of continuing education presentations at the 2016 APCI Annual Convention and Stockholders’ Meeting.

“We have some major topics to announce,” said Bruce Harris, APCI Manager of Professional and Clinical Affairs, who is putting together the CE programs for the convention. “There are three monumental things that are happening in 2016, and you can’t just introduce them with a flyer and expect people to be at the level of participation that we want to see, so APCI will not only be educating members on these products and services, we will be announcing vendors and featuring vendors who will be solutions for these opportunities.”

The major topics to be discussed at the convention will be telemedicine, chronic care management, and specialty pharmacy. Harris said his goal is not only to provide attendees with the theory behind these topics, but solutions to put them into practice, as well.

“We’re accomplishing two things,” he said. “We’re introducing some new clinical programs to the entire membership. Beyond that, we’re demonstrating the non-

dispensing revenue generators that we’ve been discussing under the clinical umbrella.

“This model, we hope, is a little more inclusive,” Harris added. “You come, you learn about it, here’s the product to fix it. We can educate our members on the concept and the product, all under one roof. When the attendees leave the convention, we ought to have a stronger network of pharmacies.

Continued on page 2

APCI's Bruce Harris presents during the 2015 convention in Birmingham, Ala.

AMERICAN PHARMACY COOPERATIVE JOURNAL

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Our mission is to represent the economic and professional interests of independent

pharmacies by providing leadership, vision and a collective voice for our members in the

healthcare marketplace.

JOURNALA M E R I C A N P H A R M A C Y C O O P E R AT I V E

Published byAmerican Pharmacy Cooperative, Inc.

through APCI’s Marketing & Advertising Department

5601 Shirley Park Dr, Bessemer, AL 35022EDITOR

Richard Kirbyrichardk@apcinet.com

1-800-532-2724 • Fax: 205-277-1088 help@apcinet.com • sales@apcinet.com

www.apcinet.comAPCI’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Larry Hadley, R. Ph ChairmanKentucky

Ed Walker, R. Ph Vice Chairman

Indiana

David Wright, R. Ph Secretary / Treasurer

Florida

Dale Johnson, R. Ph Alabama

Ferrell Haile, D. Ph Tennessee

Doug Calvin, R. PhAlabama

Jonathan Marquess, R. Ph Georgia

Jerry Duren, D. Ph Tennessee

Lisa Umfleet, R. Ph, CGP Missouri

ConventionContinued from page 1

APNS automates review of MAC pricing issues

APNS members that experience discrepancies in their MAC pricing will soon have their pricing issues submitted automatically for review.

Beginning Feb. 15, MAC pricing discrepancies will be automatically identified, said Josh Nichols, APNS Business Analyst.

“We are now capturing all the claims and we are submitting those to the insurance company on the pharmacy’s behalf,” Nichols said.

Currently, APNS members enter MAC pricing issues through a form on the APCI website. The new process will identify many more pricing issues, because every claim submitted through Relay Health will be examined. As a result, more successful appeals are expected.

“Only about 19 percent of our membership submits pricing issues” using the current method, said Angie Shirley, Director of Managed Care and Audit Prevention at APNS. “We will see more successful appeals because we’re capturing every claim through Relay Health. We’re no longer dependent on what the members send to us. We are now able to capture all MAC claims at a loss.”

One limitation of the new review process is that it is available only to highly-compliant APNS members who purchase through McKesson and switch through Relay Health.

“We are unable to assist members without their claim history and purchasing information,” Shirley said. “Those claims fall outside of our automated review process.”

Information on successful appeals will be posted on the APCI website on a monthly and year-to-date basis.

For questions or more information about the automated MAC review process, contact APNS.

“It looks very clinical,” he said, “but at the end of the day, if you come and participate in the CE, you’re going to understand that it’s not just a clinical program – it’s going to affect your bottom line.”

The APCI convention will be held March 18-20 at the Chattanoogan Hotel in Chattanooga, Tenn. Registration for the convention is open to APCI members. The deadline for registration is Feb. 12. For more information or to register, visit the Annual Convention section of the APCI website by clicking here (site login required).

AMERICAN PHARMACY COOPERATIVE JOURNAL

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New service offers added protection for APNS members

APNS members now have a new level of protection when dealing with issues related to federal and state regulations as well as PBM contractual requirements.

Medversant verification services are now part of APNS member-ship. Some of the services Medversant will perform for member pharmacies include verifying DEA registrations and state licenses for pharmacists; verifying liability insurance; checking federal exclu-sions for all employees; and more.

“Medversant protects our members,” said Angie Shirley, Director of Managed Care and Audit Prevention at APNS. “All of these (verifica-tions) are requirements of PBMs. It’s a mandate on the pharmacy to have certain things in place.”

APNS has always required certain verified information from its mem-bers, but relied upon its members to conduct ongoing monitoring. The new service expands verification to all pharmacy employees on an ongoing basis.

“In the past, APNS had no way to know that a pharmacy was doing everything they were supposed to do, as it related to PBMs and con-tracts,” Shirley said. “We do an initial monitoring and know that cer-tain credentials are in place on the front end, but, we only required

information on the pharmacist in charge, techs, and the owner. On the back end, the pharmacy had to do monthly monitoring on all of their employees to ensure they haven’t landed on an exclusion list. There was no way for us to know that it was happening.”

For the past several weeks, APNS members have been adding all employee information to their pharmacy credentials so that Medversant will have the information they need to conduct ongoing verification. In addition, Medversant will also provide APNS mem-bers with information and templates for codes of conduct, policy and procedure manuals, and HIPAA information.

“It’s going to be protection for the PSAO and protection for the phar-macy,” Shirley said. “A lot of things are mandated in the contract, but they haven’t actually been audited. We want to make sure that every member has everything they need. Now we know that they are going to be covered.”

For more information about Medversant, contact APNS.

Marquess honored by APhAAPCI member Jonathan Marquess was recently honored by the American Pharmacists’ Association as the recipient of the Daniel B. Smith Practice Excellence Award.

The award, presented by the APhA’s Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management, “recognizes a pharmacy practitioner, in any practice setting, who has distinguished himself/herself and the profession through outstanding performance and achievements.”

Marquess presently serves on the APCI Board of Directors, and with his wife, Pam,

own multiple independent pharmacies in Georgia. Jonathan specializes in diabetes care and earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Mercer University.

Throughout his career, Dr. Marquess has been actively involved in local, state, and national professional organizations. He is a Past President of the Georgia Pharmacy Association (GPhA). Currently, he serves on the APhA Board of Trustees. In 2008, Marquess was awarded the Innovative Pharmacist of the Year from GPhA. In 2012, he was named the Independent Pharmacist of the Year from the Georgia Academy of Independent Pharmacists.

Marquess and the other APhA Awards and Honors Program honorees will be officially recognized at the APhA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Baltimore, Maryland, March 4-7, 2016.

AMERICAN PHARMACY COOPERATIVE JOURNAL

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Member AnniversariesWe congratulate our members who are celebrating significant anniversaries as members of APCI!

Thank you for your continued membership!

5 YearsKings Pharmacy Michael Corbin

Boynton Beach, Fla.

Pharmacare Prescription Shoppe Bobby Robinson Mt. Juliet, Tenn.

Harland Drugs Allen Harland

Moundville, Ala.

Faith Pharmacy Ferdinand Mboe Mediko

College Park, Ga.

Poly-Plex Pharmacy Ferdinand Mboe Mediko

Atlanta, Ga.

Boca Town Pharmacy Raj Data

Boca Raton, Fla.

20 YearsWillard’s Medical Arts Pharmacy

Willard McDonald Butler, Ala.

10 YearsBryan Pharmacy

Brett Bryan Enterprise, Ala.

Coral Springs Pharmacy Raj Data

Coral Springs, Fla.

Monument Pharmacy Mitesh Patel

Jacksonville, Fla.

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New MembersWe bid a warm welcome to our newest APCI members!

Baptist Pharmacy Pavilion Janice Rogers

Jacksonville, Fla.

Brier Creek Integrated Pain & Spine Brad Johnson Raleigh, N.C.

Cambridge Oaks Pharmacy Zafir A. Abdelrahman

Casselberry, Fla.

Cedra Pharmacy Mazen Karnaby Houston, Texas

Coastal Pharmacy Erin Hollis

Ocean Springs, Miss.

Eastwood Pharmacy Ankit Patel

Birmingham, Ala.

Eden Drug Robert L. Crouch

Eden, N.C.

Express Aid Pharmacy Eloy Ortega

Hollywood, Fla.

Harris Drug and Gifts Renee Logan DeQueen, Ark.

IPS Nicole Rosenke

Sweetwater, Tenn.

K and M Drugs Ft. Myers Aymun Kaki Ft. Myers, Fla.

La Colonia Pharmacy Services Yenin Acevedo

Miama, Fla.

Logan Pharmacy Vicky Thrasher

Moulton, Ala.

M&A Pharmacy Ya Ling Erin Lee Arlington, Texas

Medical Center Pharmacy Stone Oak Linh H. Nguyen

San Antonio, Texas

McClure’s Compounding Pharmacy Steven R. McClure, Jr.

Georgetown, Texas

Medicine Mart of Lexington Michael Gleaton

Lexington, S.C.

Pharmacy Headquarters Antoine Mourani

Chicago, Ill.

Physician Preferred Pharmacy Sara Byers

Margate, Fla.

Rose Pharmacy John Rose

Blytheville, Ark.

Shoppers Pharmacy Bruce Michael Faulk

Eatonton, Ga.

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Tampa Palms Pharmacy Joby Thomas

Tampa, Fla.

Thrive Pharmacy Solutions John Gregg Plano, Texas

AMERICAN PHARMACY COOPERATIVE JOURNAL

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Membership AdditionsWe also welcome these APCI members who added additional pharmacies to their membership!

Baptist Pharmacy Beaches Janice Rogers

Jacksonville Beach, Fla.

Baptist Pharmacy Childrens Janice Rogers

Jacksonville, Fla.

Baptist Pharmacy Lane Janice Rogers

Jacksonville, Fla.

Baptist Pharmacy Nassau Janice Rogers

Fernandina Beach, Fla.

Baptist Pharmacy San Marco Janice Rogers

Jacksonville, Fla.

Baptist Pharmacy South Janice Rogers

Jacksonville, Fla.

Beaumont Drugs Rocky L. McGarity Beaumont, Miss.

Carolina Pharmacy Arboretum Vipul Patel

Charlotte, N.C.

Deerborn Rx Dustin Roberts Knoxville, Tenn.

Forney Pharmacy Chris Simdon Dallas, Texas

Mills Specialty Pharmacy Robert Mills Hoover, Ala.

Polk’s Drugs #9 Buell Polk

Ocean Springs, Miss.

Riverstone Pharmacy Steven Purvis Blue Ridge, Ga.

Sealy Pharmacy Nipul Patel Sealy, Texas

Sparkman Pharmacy at Wellstone Farzan Isfahani Huntsville, Ala.

Study: Pharmacists can significantly improve patient compliance in 2 minutes

Pharmacists who employ an unconvention-al, interactive patient counseling technique can more than double the chance that people will understand key issues on how to take, understand and manage their use of prescription drugs, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.

The Oregon State University study provides compelling evidence that this technique could significantly improve the understand-ing of drug use and storage, possible side effects, what to expect from a medication and what to do if something isn’t working.

“This approach to prescription drug counsel-ing has now been shown to be a dramatic improvement over conventional methods,”

stated Robert Boyce, director of pharmacy services in the Student Health Center Pharmacy at Oregon State University, and corresponding author on the study.

Boyce co-developed an alternative approach during a 21-year career with the Public Health Service pharmacy program of the Indian Health Service, a federal health program for American Indians and Alaskan natives. It emphasizes a questioning of patients on their understanding of the drug they have been prescribed, and answers questions about whatever they don’t under-stand. It’s a discussion, not a presentation.

The concept, Boyce said, which was released in 1991 to schools and colleges of pharma-cy, is now gaining much wider acceptance

across the nation. This study, which included a survey of 500 participants at four com-munity pharmacies in Oregon, is the first of its type to confirm the value of the new approach.

In this approach, patients are asked three basic, open-ended questions, relating to the name and purpose of the medication; how to use and store it; and what possible side effects there might be, and what to do if they occur.

The new study found that 71% of patients using the new counseling approach could answer all three questions correctly, com-pared to 33% of patients who were instruct-ed with the conventional system.

AMERICAN PHARMACY COOPERATIVE JOURNAL

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INCREASE CLINICAL PERFORMANCETo Qualify:1. APNS member in good standing2. Compliant APCI / McKesson member3. Enrolled and launched the PRO Wellness dashboard4. Patients enrolled in the PRO Wellness STAR Wellness Med Sync program*5. Must have a minimum of 50 patients enrolled and synced on the last day of the month

INCREASE PHARMACY REVENUEFor every 100 typical multiple-medication patients enrolled, those increased refills

represent An Additional

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On January 31, 2016, pharmacyhas 55 patients enrolled in med sync

Number of Patients Enrolled In Med Sync Program

ADDITIONAL 1-2% Monthly Promotion Rebate Based on Enrollment

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