5 tips for enrolling the right patients in med sync

Med sync success starts with enrolling the right patients

In brief:

• Many pharmacy owners are moving forward with plans to implement med sync due to the significant operational, financial and clinical benefits.
• One of the keys in getting started is identifying and enrolling the right patients.
• Best practices and tips for enrolling the right patients include starting with patients who take 3 to 5 maintenance meds (not the most complex patients who take 10+), delivery patients, and patients you already know well; and focusing on one specific disease state.
• Once med sync is up and running smoothly, you can broaden your target.

Tip #1: Start with patients taking three to five maintenance medications.

When starting a med sync program, it can be tempting to target your most complicated patients. However, these patients can prove challenging, and experience has shown that they are not the best place to start.

Instead, identify patients taking approximately four maintenance medications for chronic conditions, and start with them. They are the initial sweet spot for med sync. After you have gained experience and confidence with med sync, you can expand to more complex patients taking more maintenance meds.

Tip #2: Start with patients you already know.

Building on existing relationships is an easy, comfortable way to gain experience and confidence. It is easier to enroll patients you already know, and these patients will provide more open feedback about their experience. Starting with your trusted and loyal patients enables you to develop the processes and routines to become successful and grow.

Tip #3: Synchronize your delivery patients.

In getting started, include delivery customers in your initial med sync plans. Often, delivery patients take multiple medications. By including them in med sync you can increase efficiency by decreasing the number of deliveries.

Tip #4: Start with patients with one particular chronic disease state.

A great way to filter patients is to pick one initial disease state with patients who typically take three to five medications. These might be patients with diabetes or a cardiac disease. Initially focusing on patients with one disease state may simplify workflows. Over time, after everything is running smoothly, you will add more patients with other disease states.

Tip #5: When you know the criteria of patients that you want to enroll in med sync, an effective method of identification and enrollment is during manual refill call-ins.

Ways to identify the best initial patients include using your computer systems to tag patients who meet the criteria you establish, reviewing will-call bins to see prescriptions that have been filled (an idea is to attach a flyer or make a notation on the will-call bag), and alerting staff regarding the criteria and asking them to identify appropriate patients.

Additional considerations

Other considerations to keep in mind when deciding whom to target for med sync are Medicare patients, individuals in assisted living or other long-term care facilities, and patients where there are additional revenue opportunities, such as pay-for-performance.

Once initial patients have been enrolled and the process is running smoothly, the primary methods for recruiting patients are in person, via phone and through external recruitment efforts. Check out our Med Sync Patient Enrollment Talking Points for some quick suggestions on how to go about starting the conversation with your patients.

To learn more about other steps in the med sync process, and for best practices in getting started, visit the Medication Synchronization Education Center, sponsored by Health Mart^®.