PACE participants who received their medication through CareKinesis® had significantly reduced annual medical expenses related to unintended multi-drug interactions compared to other pharmacies
MOORESTOWN, N.J., March 17, 2022 — Technology that uses simultaneous, accumulative, multi-drug interactions to identify potential medication risk has been proven to improve patients’ health and well-being. Now, a new study published in the journal Healthcare from Tabula Rasa HealthCare, Inc® (TRHC) demonstrates that identifying the risk of multi-drug interactions, before they occur, can significantly reduce healthcare costs for Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).
New peer-reviewed research demonstrates that value-based organizations like PACE that used CareKinesis Pharmacy to identify and mitigate potential medication risk reduced unnecessary healthcare costs on average by $5000 per participant annually.
CareKinesis uses TRHC’s MedWise® Science to identify patients at high risk for Adverse Drug Events (ADE), including emergency room visits, re-hospitalizations and falls. Certified MedWise Advisor™ pharmacists provide actionable insights in the form of pharmacist recommendations, prior to the medication being dispensed.
“Patients shouldn’t be harmed by their medications,” said TRHC Chairman and CEO Calvin H. Knowlton, PhD. “Preventable adverse drug interactions can harm patients, reduce quality of life, and drive up costs. With concern of rising healthcare costs mounting, CareKinesis can help PACE and other value-based care organizations that take downside-risk significantly save on healthcare costs.”
The study, published in the March issue of the journal Healthcare, compared total medical costs for PACE participants who received CareKinesis prospective risk mitigation services and participants who received pharmacy services outside CareKinesis. According to the results, the average year-over-year reduction in medical costs was $5,024 per participant for the group that received the CareKinesis services. Roughly three quarters of this difference involved costs such as emergency department visits and skilled nursing ($3,807). The remaining savings involved physician-related expenses ($1,217).
“The study, which included over 2,500 participants from 19 PACE organizations, shows the economic value of advanced medication risk mitigation services,” said Alan Stein, MD PhD, TRHC, SVP Healthcare Analytics. “The data suggests that a major factor in the reported savings is the ability to prevent potential medication-related problems.”
