OREANDA-NEWS. McKesson Pharmacy Systems and Automation (MPS&A) is launching a new EnterpriseRx® Flexible Delivery solution that expands the reach of outpatient and retail pharmacies beyond their local communities. The new solution will be introduced at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting, which runs from December 8-12, 2013.

“EnterpriseRx® Flexible Delivery solution matches the convenience of a mail order program without compromising the personal connection a patient has with their hometown pharmacist, or the pharmacist who took the time to explain their medication at the end of a hospital visit,” said Nathan Mott, President MPS&A. “Whether a patient’s home is 30 or 300 miles away, the pharmacist who has an established relationship with the patient can still provide personal care.”

EnterpriseRx® Flexible Delivery is a fully integrated mail solution within the EnterpriseRx® pharmacy management system. It allows patients to opt into a mail delivery service directly with their preferred pharmacy, and offers the convenience of submitting refills for mail delivery via phone, web or text message. EnterpriseRx® Flexible Delivery also offers a range of secure payment options for patients, including those submitted through Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Spending Accounts (HSA). The solution can facilitate a range of mail delivery programs from small-batch orders to high-volume services.

MPS&A customers currently using EnterpriseRx® Flexible Delivery range from outpatient pharmacies operating Specialty prescription programs and large retail chains staying connected with snow birds, to small independent pharmacies serving patients in rural communities.

“EnterpriseRx® Flexible Delivery is just another way that McKesson enables its customers to offer a suite of services that payers look for when establishing reimbursement networks,” said Mott. “It’s also one of a few new solutions we are working on to help our customers contribute to resolving the issue of non-adherence, a problem that costs the health care industry an estimated USD 290 billion annually.”

A recent study commissioned by the National Association of Community Pharmacists produced a National Report Card on Medication Adherence.  In the study, six predictors of medication adherence were defined. The top predictor of adherence is a patient’s personal connection with a pharmacist or pharmacy staff.  Yet another study published by the American Journal of Managed Care showed that adherence was 1.11 to 1.19 times higher across three disease states when prescriptions were delivered to a patient’s door step.

“These studies show that a successful adherence program will have to keep the pharmacist at the core of a patient’s medication regimen while still respecting a patient’s need for convenience,” said Mott. “That’s why we see it as our job to develop solutions that support the pharmacist as a clinical advisor and help pharmacies offer their patients flexible delivery options.”