The customer is changing from a physician-centric to a patient-centric world. The Pharmacy Benefits Division is responsible for setting policy and coverage for outpatient pharmacy services for the Medi-Cal program. Two out of three FPs indicated they do not believe health systems will assign pharmacists to provide education and support to parents who are uncertain about vaccinating their children (Figure 1, item 6). Health systems must appropriately compensate pharmacists and technicians who possess sterile products certifications in order to ensure an adequate workforce dedicated to this fundamental pharmacy responsibility. fluids. Health-system pharmacy leaders face a wide range of challenges—from serving the needs of an increasing number of patients with fewer and fewer resources, to meeting the needs of staff who are expected to work harder, month after month, in the face of increasing complexity of care, to struggling to point their departments in a direction that will lead to success while navigating the seemingly endless stream of change. Develop and implement health system–based programs that respond to those same drivers. Market share growth will be impeded by challenges in converting patients who are stable on originator products to biosimilars and by benefit designs that do not incent patients to use biosimilars. Pharmacists and technicians who complete additional training and/or certification may qualify for higher salaries, but this would be based on additional credentials, not necessarily the compounding of hazardous medications. Real action to improve competition, such as eliminating “pay for delay” deals and reforming drug patent laws to prevent “evergreening,” are needed to truly impact the problem. While many FPs agreed that some employers will bypass traditional insurers and will contract directly with specific health systems, 36% felt it is unlikely (Figure 7, item 3). Pharmacies must comply with certain track-and-trace requirements in 2020, FDA says. Congressional hearings featuring parents of children who have died due to insulin rationing resulted in commitments to support the launch of an authorized generic for insulin, which may lead to more affordable care. (Evidence-based Pharmacy Practice). As was recommended in the 2019 Pharmacy Forecast, pharmacists must have the skills to implement care that fosters shared decision-making to improve patient outcomes.8 It is also important for training programs to include exposure to such care models and skills. In the pharmacy department’s planning process, increase the relative attention given to long-term strategic issues (versus near-term operational issues); use annual Pharmacy Forecast reports to stimulate this shift. Healthcare Executive, Ridgewood, NJ. One of the most common pharmacy services offered through retail clinics is vaccinations. Capital investments beyond what most health systems can invest will also continue. As another election cycle begins, many stakeholders are discussing ways to reduce drug prices. Mark A. Lantzy, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Indiana University Health, and President, Indiana University Health Plans, Indianapolis, IN. Dr. Fox is an unpaid volunteer member of the advisory board for Civica Rx. Artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced computing technologies are growing in presence and impact throughout healthcare.1 It is plausible that multiple pharmacy-related tasks now fulfilled by personnel may soon be accomplished by AI, but in order for effective AI systems to be developed and applied, a significant body of high-quality data related to the task to be automated must be available. Develop and implement programs that do not necessarily increase fee-for-service–based revenue but leverage the recognized skills of pharmacists in reducing inefficiency and improving quality as important contributions in value-based payment models. What is the value of pharmacy benefit management (PBM) companies? The customer is changing from a physician-centric to a patient-centric world.Â. The panel was carefully balanced across the census regions of the United States to reflect a representative national picture. The top pharmacy trends for 2020 and the year that was While affiliations with regional and national systems will likely continue, as reflected in FP responses (Figure 6, item 6), other strategies that integrate new telehealth technologies, such as home monitoring and electronically controlled medication administration, will become the norm in supporting rural healthcare. Partner with postacute care providers to enhance communication and care coordination between clinical teams. The purpose of this report is to encourage and support active, deliberate strategic planning in hospitals and health systems. As pharmacies strive for greater efficiency, two technologies are emerging that ensure every patient is receiving the right medication in the prescribed dosages: (1) using digital imaging makes it much easier and faster for the tech and pharmacist to verify the prescription and (2) improvements in machines specifically engineered to count dosages ensures that the pill count is correct. They did not consider where drug products were made, perhaps assuming sufficient geographic dispersion so that a single natural disaster could not significantly disrupt supplies. Placing multiple departments under the leadership of one executive also makes it easier to reduce silo budgeting by identifying and implementing interventions that may increase cost in one department while reducing cost to a greater degree in another (for example, using a high-cost medication to reduce blood utilization, resulting in lower total cost of care). Health-system pharmacists must continue to plan for manufacturing quality deficits resulting in recalls and shortages, as well as higher drug prices. Data from the University of Utah Drug Information Service show a 57% increase in ongoing and active drug shortages, from 176 in 2017 to 276 in 2019. Health-system leaders must identify and engage with partners in other health systems and educational institutions to provide accredited technician education and training programs that will ensure the availability of an increasingly competent technician workforce. This will be true not only of residency program recruitment but also recruitment of students in colleges and schools of pharmacy, where diversity must also be improved. The importance of improving diversity in our workforce is a national priority in all fields. Frank Sheehy, B.A., M.B.A., (Ret.) The Pharmacy Forecast could not be created without the contributions of the report editor, founding editor, members of the Advisory Committee, Forecast Panelists who responded to the forecast survey, and chapter authors. © 2020 MJH Life Sciences™ and Managed Healthcare Executive. December 22, 2020 05:10pm. The mixed survey response is likely a reflection of the complexity that would be involved in establishing such a recognition program. Significant investment has been made in retail pharmacy–based clinics, and respondents expressed uncertainty regarding patient interest in these services (Figure 1, item 5). Founded in 1897, Pharmacy Times, a full-service pharmacy media resource, reaches a network of over 1.3 million retail pharmacists. Onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi (Zolgensma, AveXis). Although some colleges and schools have established various dual degree programs that leverage existing curricular resources and provide substantial benefits to graduates, a joint Pharm.D./P.A. Recent books and media attention regarding the poor quality of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and finished drugs have prompted discussions regarding the merits of incentivizing United States–based manufacturing.4–6. Welcome to Hot Topics in Pharmacy Practice which features a variety of episodes covering emerging trends, key topics and areas across medicine. However, drug costs have been discussed and analyzed for decades. Just last month LexisNexis Risk Solutions hosted its annual Pharmacy Partner Summit. Healthcare Executive, Eden Prairie, MN. Trending Topics in Ambulatory Care is a recertification curriculum designed by APhA's expert faculty and focuses on a series of hot topics and timely issues in the world of Ambulatory Care specialty pharmacy. Here’s how Medicare works, ASHP statement on the role of health-system pharmacists in emergency preparedness, Accelerate—building strategic agility for a faster-moving world, Accelerate! (2020). programs, such as the ability to develop and implement new clinical programs, may be of more value. A large majority of Forecast Panelists (FPs) indicated that it is likely that pharmacy departments will establish the means to prove the value of the work they do (Figure 3, item 1). In early 2018, in the midst of the flu season, basic i.v. However, research topics still need to do enough research and gather a lot of data and facts from reliable sources in … The 2020 Pharmacy Forecast is intended to assist with strategic planning efforts by health-system leaders. Does the department’s planning process engage all team members in strategic thinking?5, Do pharmacy leaders periodically facilitate “what if” discussions about how the department could respond to a seemingly improbable event?e. Those health systems already involved in specialty pharmacy programs should collect, analyze, and disseminate patient outcome data that demonstrate the value of services, thus differentiating their organizations from national providers. Organizational restructuring can foster collaboration among pharmacists across settings, encouraging alignment that enhances communication and shared ownership of clinical outcomes. The stability of the supply chain is of critical importance, and recommendations for focused strategic planning are provided. There is a dearth of evidence linking most current metrics with truly impactful patient outcomes, yet huge investments are made in structural and process improvements in the hope that outcomes will also improve. Most FPs (63%) believed that in many health systems, departments other than pharmacy will have primary responsibility for the management of these treatments (Figure 4, item 5). Strategic plans should be reviewed frequently, allowing for tactical adjustments in course over time as trends (those discussed in this report and others that were not predicted) emerge. FPs indicated that Haven will reduce healthcare spending for the companies’ employees (Figure 7, item 2), but it is unclear if those savings will be realized more widely. A forward-thinking healthcare executive should have a process to scan the industry for innovative applications for consumer-centered healthcare and be willing to make incremental strategic investments that can benefit their members. The use and cost of different drugs have also been a hot topic in debates and headlines for 2019. L. No. Meghan D. Swarthout, Pharm.D., M.B.A., Division Director, Ambulatory and Transitions of Care Services, Department of Pharmacy, Johns Hopkins Health System, Baltimore, MD. Please check for further notifications by email. Despite the relative optimism of FPs (Figure 6, item 2), federal legislation prohibiting patent manipulations affecting biosimilar and conventional generic drug approvals are unlikely within 5 years. (Healthcare Marketplace). See below for the archived webinars. Yes. 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