A pharmacy care intervention program for employees with type 2 diabetes and asthma achieved dramatic results for the City of Asheville
Intervention: The Asheville Project
The Triple Solution for a Healthier America is a three-part approach to tackle chronic diseases, promote a healthier life, and lower healthcare costs by focusing on Prevention, Intervention, and Innovation.

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The Triple Solution for a Healthier America: Using Prevention to reduce chronic disease, promote a healthier life, and lower healthcare costs of diabetes and other chronic diseases The Triple Solution for a Healthier America: Using Intervention to better manage chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, promote a healthier life, and lower healthcare costs. The Triple Solution for a Healthier America: Using Innovation to reduce chronic disease and lower healthcare costs. Learn what you can do to reduce chronic disease, lower healthcare costs, and live a healthier life through personal, professional, and political involvement with the Triple Solution for a Healthier America.

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The second key to lowering healthcare costs is to help people get the right care when they do get sick. Early and consistent treatment can help people better manage their chronic diseases. It can also prevent them from getting sicker.

Intervention: The Pharmacy Care Program

The City of Asheville partnered with the North Carolina Association of Pharmacists (NCAP) to provide a pharmacy care program to demonstrate the value of pharmacist-directed case management.

The City offered a wellness program to its employees with diabetes or asthma. For employees with diabetes, copays were waived for disease-related medications and supplies for patients who agreed to:

  • Attend diabetes classes.
  • Get lab work every 6 months.
  • Meet with a participating pharmacist once a month for 30 minutes.

The City paid for all services, including the counseling time of community pharmacists.

Intervention Can Bring Real-Life Results.

John: A Real Story of Results

John is a 54-year-old business manager who suffers from type 2 diabetes and asthma. This is a typical day in John’s life:

  • He works hard for the City of Asheville.
  • When he isn’t managing people at work, he’s managing his own chronic diseases.
  • He is tired of living two detail-oriented lives.
  • He knows he can take time off from work. But he can’t take time off from diabetes or asthma.
  • With so many responsibilities, he wishes he knew how to handle them more effectively.
  • He’s tempted to give up. He’s tempted to let the diabetes and asthma take their courses.
  • Maybe giving up would be easier. But John is not a quitter. He decides to enroll in the pharmacy care program to see if maybe there is hope.

Now, 6 months after committing to better lifestyle choices, John is still in the pharmacy program. He’s a changed man:

  • He attends diabetes education classes. He is relieved that somebody is finally managing him for a change.
  • He visits with a pharmacist in the program once a month during his lunch break. He receives counseling on how to better deal with his diabetes and asthma.
  • He does his part to take care of himself with the education he receives.
  • He regularly checks his blood sugar at home.
  • He has a foot exam every 6 months.
  • His cholesterol has improved.
  • His medical claims have decreased.
  • He feels better. And he uses more of his paid time off for vacations instead of sickness.

Because John is doing his part, the City of Asheville is paying for his medications. He’s a believer in better health.

A Partnership of Success

Promoting an active partnership with the pharmacist achieved dramatic results for the City of Asheville:

  • Direct costs went down by $2,431 per patient over 5 years.
  • The town realized about $18,000 per patient in annual productivity gains as the number of missed work days dropped by half.1
  • While some costs increased, total healthcare costs decreased. This demonstrated the power of effective health management.
  • Watch a video to learn more about the City of Asheville and diabetes management.
  • Read about how the Ten City Challenge and Pitney Bowes case studies address the importance of intervention.

References:

  1. Cranor C, Bunting BA, Christenson DB. The Asheville Project: long-term clinical and economic outcomes of a community pharmacy diabetes care program. J Am Pharm Assoc 2003; 43:173-184.