Post on 21-Jun-2020
CareKinesis Chronicles
CareKinesis Introduces: Pharmacy Operations Partners for Clients
Change is never easy. Having implemented more than twelve PACE centers across the country this year, we at CareKinesis understand just how difficult switching pharmacy providers can be. Thanks to input from our current PACE client partners, we continue to introduce new and improved support services, so that the transition to CareKinesis is as smooth and efficient as possible for program administrators, prescribers, nurses, and participants. Our latest service enhancement makes transitioning even easier. Now, every CareKinesis PACE client is matched with a team of dedicated Pharmacy Operations Partners. This means that when you partner with CareKinesis, each of your PACE centers is matched up with primary designated pharmacy contacts for patient-related questions. While all CareKinesis pharmacy staff can assist any PACE partner at any time, now our clients can connect with pharmacists and certified technicians who are intimately familiar with them and their participants. Pharmacy Operations Partners oversee all medication-related touch points with partner
programs, including clinical support, communications with the CareKinesis medication management center, and the medication distribution process. They are responsible for assuring that medication care plans are reviewed for medication safety, and that participants have the medications they need, when they need them. If you are not yet a CareKinesis partner, email us at info@CareKinesis.com or call 888-9-PharmD for more information about our unique PACE-focused services.
© CareKinesis, Inc., all rights reserved. 888-9-PharmD (888-974-2763) www.CareKinesis.com
Managing Editor:
Sara Baughn, BSBA
Editor in Chief:
Orsula V. Knowlton, PharmD,
MBA
November 2011
Volume 4
Personalizing medication management • Advancing pharmacy technology • Customizing adherence packaging
In this Issue: CareKinesis at NPA .................. p. 2 Statin Therapy in PACE ................ p. 2 EireneRx Updates ............... p. 3 Report Portal News .................... p. 3 Super-User Webinar ............... p. 4
What is CareKinesis? CareKinesis is a dedicated PACE pharmacy provid-ing 24/7 personalized medication management and customized adher-ence packaging for PACE participants. The CareKinesis model results in enhanced medication-related outcomes and greater PACE clinic operational efficiency.
“The CareKinesis team is a pleasure to work
with—they have brought such great
service to our pharmacy transition!”
- Donna Piszko, RN
CareKinesis at NPA 2011!
Thank you for visiting CareKinesis at the NPA 2011 Conference in New Orleans. We hosted a Cajun-style dinner overlooking the Mississippi River, and enjoyed visiting with current partners as well as meeting interested PACE members. If you were unable to stop by our booth for some CareKinesis give-aways and information about our unique PACE pharmacy services, email info@carekinesis.com to request a package by mail.
Is your Organization Looking for
Comprehensive Pharmacy Services?
PharmD Medication Management
Adherence Packaging
Medication Access
PDE Reporting
We Remove the "Pharmacy Hassle
Factor."
Call CareKinesis Today
888-9PharmD (888-974-2763)
info@carekinesis.com
Class Overview Although HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, or “statins,” all lower cholesterol, there are sig-nificant differences within the drug class. Costs, drug-drug interactions, adverse drug event (ADE) profile, as well as LDL lowering efficacy should all influence the selection of an agent. The most potent agents that produce
the largest change in LDL levels are atorvastatin (Lipitor®) and rosuvastatin (Crestor®).
The agents least affected by decreased renal function are atorvastatin (Lipitor®) and fluvastatin (Lescol®).
The agents least likely to be affected by other medications on the patient’s pro-file include pravastatin (Pravachol®) and fluvastatin (Lescol®) (not metabolized through the cytochrome P450 system).
The agents most likely to show ADEs in the geriatric patient include simvastatin (Zocor®) and lovastatin (Mevacor®), due to their high lipophilicity and ability to penetrate and damage muscle fibers and cross into the CNS.
The agents least likely to show ADEs in the geriatric patient include pravastatin (Pravachol®) and fluvastatin (Lescol®), due to their high hydrophilicity and in-ability to penetrate the above.
The least expensive agents (available generically) include pravastatin (Pravachol®) and simvastatin (Zocor®).
The most expensive agents (brand name only) include atorvastatin (Lipitor®) and rosuvastatin (Crestor®).
Risk/Benefit Considerations When initiating or adjusting therapy, the prescriber should (as always) consider the risks vs. benefits of the class, and consider:
Patients’ Treatment Pathways (longevity
vs. functional vs. palliative) Past attempts at life-style modification
(healthy diet, exercise as tolerated, etc.) Co-morbidities Other medications While individual therapeutic responses differ from one agent to another, your organiza-tion may wish to consider the use of pravastatin (Pravachol®) as your statin of choice due to its: Favorable ADE profile in the geriatric
population. Favorable drug–drug interaction profile,
because many geriatric patients are on multiple drugs that can influence statin metabolism.
Favorable cost/mg potency. While per-haps not as potent as atorvastatin, pravastatin is a “mid-potency” agent and will suffice for the majority of those patients in need of an LDL lowering agent at a cost favorable to the PACE organization.
As a secondary agent, simvastatin (Zocor®) would be appropriate, however doses should not exceed 40mg/day in the geriatric population and should not exceed 20mg/day in a patient for whom concurrent calcium channel blocker (CCB) therapy is utilized.
Assessing Your Program For many PACE organizations, there can be a potential savings of thousands of dollars per year if participants can be managed on an equi-therapeutic dose of pravastatin or simvastatin. To assess your program, analyze the following figures:
Looking for Comprehensive
Pharmacy Services? PharmD Medication
Management Multi-Dose Packaging Medication Access
EliminateEliminate the “Pharmacy Hassle
Factor” with CareKinesis!
888-9-PharmD (888-974-2763)
info@CareKinesis.com
Statin Therapy in PACE Robert L. Alesiani, PharmD Board Certified Geriatric Pharmacist
Medication Reconciliation PACE organizations are responsible for managing medications for participants, regardless of their status. Participants can experience care transitions between their homes, hospitals, sub-acute nursing facili-ties, and assisted living facilities. PACE organizations must perform medication reconciliation at each of these stages, track-ing medication additions and discontinua-tions specific to each care setting.
Points-of-care transitions can be time-consuming for PACE staff and physicians. They also present the highest risk for dangerous adverse drug events. For these reasons, CareKinesis has intro-duced an EireneRx feature for performing electronic medication reconciliations. To reconcile in EireneRx, simply use the mouse to drag medications from the first two
columns to the third column. This action titrates the medication and adds it to the participant’s current medication profile. If you are a physician, you will then sign the electronic signature pad, and the order will be sent to a pharmacist for verification and processing. If you are an nurse, you will be prompted to authorize the order, which will then be sent to the physician and the pharmacist. This reconciliation feature also provides a printable form to show the active medications in each status.
E-MAR, E-TAR The EireneRx Electronic MAR and TAR fea-tures have been enhanced with a new “Scheduled Home Dose” option, as well as new filtering options for “Days at Center” and “Administration Times.” For more information about these enhance-ments or about EireneRx, email info@CareKinesis.com or call 888-9-PharmD. For training on these new features, contact your Client Development Representative.
Report Portal News
CareKinesis offers clients an online business intelligence tool, the Credo2U Report Portal. This tool allows authorized individuals at partnering organizations to view PDE data, run queries on specific medications, and create custom reports. A new report has been cre-ated to support CareKinesis PACE partners’ Part D Compli-ance programs.
“FWA Prescription Tracking” now appears as an option in your CareKinesis / Client / Clinical reports folder. FWA data can be viewed, printed, and exported through this web portal. This reporting software now supports the Firefox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer web browsers. Please contact your Client Development Representative for more information, or email info@CareKinesis.com.
Class Overview Although HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, or “statins,” all lower cholesterol, there are sig-nificant differences within the drug class. Costs, drug-drug interactions, adverse drug event (ADE) profile, as well as LDL lowering efficacy should all influence the selection of an agent. The most potent agents that produce the
EireneRx Updates
incontinence drugs, long-acting opioids, antidepressants, inhalation therapy, and PPIs. Please let us know if you would like our assistance in lowering your statin-related medication costs by reviewing your participants’ medication profiles (clients only). Email info@CareKinesis.com, or contact your Client Development Representative for more information.
John Smith, M.D.
Tech Times Issue 00 Month Year
CareKinesis, Inc. 110 Marter Avenue, Suite 309 Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone: 888-9-PharmD Phone: 888-974-2763 Fax: 856-234-7957 info@CareKinesis.com
EireneRx Super-User Webinar
CareKinesis is hosting its first in a series of EireneRx PACE Super-User webinars. The first PACE Super-User webinar will be held at 2 pm ET, Wednesday, December 7. This webinar has been designed for PACE EireneRx Super-Users, but all EireneRx users are welcome to attend. This webinar will discuss EireneRx Help services and Super-User core competencies, including:
Creating EireneRx Accounts for new users Working with your on-site controlled medication access system (ATM) Running reports Profiling participants Exporting MARs Support for EireneRx Super-Users
For more information, please email us at info@CareKinesis.com. To register for this webinar, please call 888-9-PharmD, or contact your Client Development Representative.
Client
Feedback
“ ...your pharmacist, Bob,
has done a fantastic job today with
pharmacy consulta-tion... I am very
appreciative of this invaluable service via CareKinesis.”
Rengena Chan-Ting, DO
-Medical Director