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Pharmacy as the first line of the consumer experience revolution

The role of pharmacies has changed over the years, but especially since the COVVI-19 pandemic. Although the detail of pharmacies has allowed adults to more easily obtain vaccines and other forms of primary care, they also transform the experience of consumers in other ways. In the answers sent by email to the questions, Adriana Ramirez, president of Abarca and COO, spoke of the changing role of pharmacies, which has accelerated since the height of Covid-19, to transform the experience of consumers.

Ramirez’s vision, shaped by a background rooted in health care and a avant-garde PBM model, challenges the members of members in each transaction. A pharmacy is not only the last kilometer of care; This is the first impression.

Pharmacies are uniquely to improve access, medication membership and results for patients, according to Ramirez. As the shortages of doctors continue, pharmacists participate in enlarged roles, from the administration of vaccines to the management of chronic conditions thanks to collaboration agreements, which would create better health experiences for members.

Rethink the pharmacy contact point

“On average, a patient visits a pharmacy three times more than his doctor in a year. It is not only a statistic. It is an opportunity that we cannot afford to ignore,” observed Ramirez.

The shortage of doctors has led to pharmacies to play a wider role that crosses primary care because they seek to improve access and membership. They answer consumer issues on the side effects of prescription drugs, the delivery of vaccines and advise consumers on the management of chronic conditions. This is not limited to brick and mortar pharmacies; Digital pharmacies initially also redefine the experience of members. Thanks to the order-based order and delivery the same day, they reduce obstacles to membership, while proactive notifications and virtual pharmacist consultations provide continuous support beyond the counter. Many superimpose telehantic visits, tools for transparency of costs and boost focused on AI which anticipate the needs of members and encourage healthier behavior. By mixing convenience with personalization, these digital contact points extend the scope of pharmacy care.

Ramirez cited an example where Abarca, a pharmacy service manager, helped a regional health plan to increase the proportion of days covered by 3% in the year following the launch of the RXTARGET drug membership program.

Adriana Ramirez

“Using predictive analyzes and targeted interventions via our Darwin owner platform, the plan has made tangible improvements in adhesion to chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.

“Based on the literature estimates on how to improve membership can reduce medical costs, the health plan has obtained a return on investment of 1.77 times, after taking all program fees and pharmacy incentives into account.”

Generation gaps and how pharmacies can resolve them

Health care must take into account generational diversity.

  • Generation Z and Generation Y expects access to pharmacy based on friction -free applications.
  • Middle Age adults want intelligent tools to manage chronic conditions.
  • The elderly prioritize confidence and communication, but adopt digital technology faster than many assume it.

When consumer needs differ so much, a unique approach may not be as effective.

“In a state deployment, our home delivery application had a higher adoption rate among the elderly than the commercial population because we have associated it with a pharmacist telephone medium,” said Ramirate, adding that this combined support strengthens confidence and makes all the difference.

In rural areas, pharmacies play an even more critical role because they can be the only accessible care point. The amplification of the role of telepharmacy, mobile health units and home delivery extends access and strengthens confidence, all in order to improve care for members.

Recovery of patient experience: the human factor in digital health

The non-adherence of drugs continues to be a critical problem, playing a role in more than 30% of avoidable hospitalizations. By combining AI, using boosts to change behavior and transparency tools to identify and proactively deal with risks, Abarca hopes to improve results. Although the observance of drugs is not a problem that most people would expect pharmacies to have the ability to solve, Abarca sees the problem differently.

“Patients need more than tools. They must understand why their health decisions count,” said Ramírez. She also thinks that AI has a role to play in the provision of health care by improving it.

“If it is used intentionally and intelligently, technology can fill the gaps in care and introduce brick and mortar pharmacies into the digital future, integrating AI to create more personalized, more accessible and ultimately, better for members.”

Ramírez considers the pharmacy as the patient’s experience gateway, offering consumers key interactions with health care, whether to obtain a vaccine, buy a medical device or buy dressings. The ultimate goal, she said, is not only innovation for herself, but to empower pharmacies, PBMs and suppliers to serve members with more clarity, compassion and efficiency.

“Coming from a family of doctors, I know the power of clinical expertise. But the real health care revolution will come from the way we conceive of experiences that feel human, even if we are playing and digital, “she added.

PBM Model Shift: modular pbms

In the entire industry, we note a development towards a more modular approach to the management of pharmacy services where health plans have the flexibility to configure the pharmacy solutions that they consider more aligned on their long -term objectives. This approach gives customers the possibility of having more control over their network and their specialty strategy, as well as the selection of technological platforms and partners that work them best in the search to provide a more personalized and reactive experience to their members.

In response, we must expect market pressure to keep PBM offers to evolve to support greater personalization and integration of solutions, allowing health plans to provide more favorable integrated members’ experiences. This passage of the “traditional group model” will undoubtedly continue to open the door to additional transformations in the role of the pharmacy, such as innovations in the tools of pricing in real time, an increase in experiences in digital pharmacy first, telepharmacy and personalized membership programs, meeting the members where they find themselves and how they prefer to engage.

Pharmacies, whether digital or brick and mortar, will continue to be at the forefront of health care experience. They are where most people most often interact with the system and where confidence, accessibility and membership are won or lost.

Photo: Twenty47studio, Getty Images

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