In areas with patients on fixed incomes, the Produce Rx program allows patients to better allocate their resources, and make smarter food choices, which even means experimenting with produce, which has a decreased shelf-life when compared to non-perishables. “We’ve positioned ourselves as a healthcare destination within the store for all our customers,” says Giant Pharmacist Samir Balile.
“Pharmacy is a changing field,” Samir explains. “First, pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare provider. There’s no copay, short wait times, free professional advice, and we’re open 7 days a week! Second, we turn patient contacts into opportunities to make important clinical interventions. Pharmacist can identify gaps in patient care, provide immunizations, educate patients and emphasize the importance of medication adherence, as well as other potential adherence deterrents patients may be experiencing with their medications regimens. These are tasks that pharmacist complete daily that minimize healthcare costs such as hospitalizations, acute illness and more medications to mitigate undesired side-effects.
Can he explain how medication compliance works, and why Produce Rx is a valuable tool to support this?
“Pharmacies are now assessed by PDC (proportion of days covered),” Samir continues. “It’s a metric developed by insurance companies that dictates reimbursements based on patients’ adherence to their medication regimen (blood pressure, diabetes medications, cholesterol meds). From a pharmacy perspective, programs that incentivize individuals with free produce, both increase adherence and allow pharmacists to address any medication-related issues patients may be experiencing. From a retailer perspective, this program also increases foot traffic into the store and can drive further produce sales. It’s a win-win.”