PR Newswire
ST. LOUIS, June 1, 2017
ST. LOUIS, June 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Express Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX) today extended its leadership in innovative, value-based care with two new Express Scripts SafeGuardRx® programs: the Pulmonary Care Value ProgramSM and the Multiple Sclerosis Care Value ProgramSM. These solutions leverage the core strengths of Express Scripts' independent model, and combine technology, specialized care and strategic industry collaborations, to deliver greater value to payers and improved health outcomes for patients living with these chronic, complex and costly illnesses.
"In these new programs, we're uniting the personalized care model in our Therapeutic Resource Centers® and Accredo® specialty pharmacy with new strategies to address the unique adherence barriers we see in patients with asthma, COPD and multiple sclerosis," said Glen Stettin, M.D., chief innovation officer, Express Scripts. "We're applying tools we've developed and tested in the Express Scripts LabSM, leveraging the success Mango Health has achieved through gamification, and collaborating with our quality pharmacy network partners to deliver improved patient outcomes."
In addition to addressing medication nonadherence, each program lowers the net cost of treatment through Express Scripts' National Preferred Formulary and utilization management programs. The Multiple Sclerosis Care Value Program also offers payers an early discontinuation reimbursement for the first three fills of a preferred multiple sclerosis (MS) medication, when filled at Accredo. Both programs will be implemented January 1, 2018.
Total medical and prescription costs for nonadherent patients are approximately $300 more per year compared to adherent patients. About 75 percent of asthma patients fail to take their medication as directed, and half of patients with asthma misuse their inhalers. The average asthma-related hospitalization costs $6,600.
Nonadherence with MS therapy increases the cost of care by $5,400 per patient annually. Additionally, more than 25 percent of MS patients discontinue therapy within the first three months because of perceived lack of efficacy, side effects and cost.
Helping Patients Breathe Easier
The Pulmonary Care Value Program (PCV) helps members who are being treated for asthma or COPD, serious conditions that place a burden on patients' quality of life and lead to dangerous and costly complications. One in 12 Americans has been diagnosed with asthma; one in 15 has been diagnosed with COPD, the third-leading cause of death in the U.S.
Express Scripts addresses the unique barriers to adherence for patients with asthma and COPD patients through these elements of the PCV program:
MS: Preparing for the Pipeline
Multiple sclerosis was the fourth-costliest drug class in 2016, with the average MS prescription costing more than $5,000. A rich drug pipeline and recently approved products are expanding treatment options for patients, including the 15 percent of patients with relapsing or primary progressive forms of MS who have not had effective treatment until 2017. These factors, along with high therapy discontinuation rates, contribute to a forecasted 10 percent increase in annual spending for the class for the next three years.
Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience daily barriers and unpredictable, debilitating symptoms and depression. The high-touch care model in our Multiple Sclerosis Care Value program will help patients improve adherence and outcomes while controlling costs and medical spend. The program features:
"Our independent model affords Express Scripts the flexibility to work across the industry and supply chain to develop customized solutions that address the specific barriers to cost-effective care that vary by therapy class," said Stettin. "We are leading the way with meaningful, measurable and effective value-based programs that put medicine within reach of patients."
About Express Scripts
Express Scripts puts medicine within reach of tens of millions of people by aligning with plan sponsors, taking bold action and delivering patient-centered care to make better health more affordable and accessible.
Headquartered in St. Louis, Express Scripts provides integrated pharmacy benefit management services, including network-pharmacy claims processing, home delivery pharmacy care, specialty pharmacy care, specialty benefit management, benefit-design consultation, drug utilization review, formulary management, and medical and drug data analysis services. Express Scripts also distributes a full range of biopharmaceutical products and provides extensive cost-management and patient-care services.
For more information, visit Lab.Express-Scripts.com or follow @ExpressScripts on Twitter.
Media Contact:
Jennifer Luddy
Express Scripts
(201) 269-6402
[email protected]
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/express-scripts-expands-safeguardrx-program-to-improve-care-for-pulmonary-conditions-and-multiple-sclerosis-300467035.html
SOURCE Express Scripts
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