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C h a i n D r u g s t o r e D a i l y M o n d a y, A u g u s t 1 2 , 2 0 1 3 2 8 RANBAXY PHARMACEUTICALS INC. PUSHES FOR GREATER PATIENT EDUCATION In today's U.S. healthcare system, breakthroughs and innovations in drug development happen every day, provid- ing for a healthier America. Still, appre- ciating that patient compliance with medication dosing is integral to an effective regimen is challenging for some, while others wrestle with basic issues regarding medications, such as: What is the difference between branded and generic medications? Are generics just as safe and effective? Do generic drugs help address the rising costs of healthcare in America? Several chain drugstores are becoming more focused on improving the total wellness of consumers within their stores by offering new services, such as more in-store patient counsel- ing and greater access to the commu- nity pharmacist. Just as the chain drugstores have done thus far, pharma- ceutical companies are making similar efforts to empower consumers. By educating patients about generic drugs and their options, Ranbaxy is demon- strating its own efforts to ensure bet- ter health outcomes for patients. It is clear, however, that the phar- maceutical industry ought to be push- ing for even more patient education among consumers, broadly and partic- ularly with respect to generic medi- cines. "We are obliged to help our patients and customers understand how the products they purchase ultimately impact them, as well as how to maxi- mize the value of their treatment," explains Bill Winter, Ranbaxy's Vice President, Sales and Distribution, at Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals, Inc. "Whether it is from a cost-savings per- spective or about their overall efficacy, there is still a disconnect among con- sumers when it comes to generic drugs. As a glob- al company that manufactures and markets a broad array of safe and effective generic drugs, we seek to encourage better-informed consumers, who are more educated about the options available to them." There are many resources that are available for consumers to better edu- cate themselves and find additional information about the medicines they take. Patients can talk to their doctor or pharmacist, or visit www.ranbaxy.com or www.gphaonline.com. For more information, call 888-RAN- BAXY, fax 904-880-9645, visit www.ran- baxy.com, or stop by booth #2919. H. D. SMITH PARTNERS WITH RX MANUFACTURERS TO OFFER UNIQUE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES Rapidly evolving patient, physician, and pharmacy needs surrounding specialty products and brands, coupled with a deep commitment to support its manufacturing customers with end-to-end value, recent- ly prompted H. D. Smith to expand its service offerings. In May, the company completed securing majority ownership of Triplefin, a reimbursement, patient assistance, and pharmaceutical brand- support services company. By expanding the company's service offering beyond expert of product, H. D. Smith can now offer end-to-end value for man- ufacturing customers – from product shipment and delivery, to third-party logistics, to clinical trial comparator drug procurement, to improving the patient experience throughout the patient jour- ney – accelerate product access, address reimbursement challenges and assure patient compliance and continued access to these therapies. "What would prompt a successful private, national wholesaler to take such a step? The answer is simple – to address unmet manufacturer needs," said Joe Conda, President of H. D. Smith Specialty Solutions. "Our prescription manufacturer customers came to us for help in improving the patient experience. Instead of simply duplicating existing market offerings, we saw an opportunity to collaborate with our manufacturers. Triplefin's existing solutions and innova- tive approach to creating new solutions expands our ability to do just this, enhance the patient experience." One unmet manufacturer need was getting the patient on the desired thera- py as quickly as possible – when some- times, reimbursement or delivery hur- dles stood in the way. The combination of H. D. Smith's expertise in logistics and distribution, coupled with Triplefin's ability to improve patient experience through reimbursement and nursing and patient education services, creates an enhanced and robust offering in the marketplace, one that can directly impact getting the patient on the desired therapy as quickly as possible. The addition of Triplefin enhances H. D. Smith's ability to offer unique programs, services and solutions to manufacturer partners that improve the patient's access to specialty and tra- ditional brand pharmaceutical products. One of these services is electronic bene- fit verification: This allows the patient or physician to enter the patient's insurance information and in most cases, instantly find out how much the patient's co-pay will be for an Rx. If the Rx is too expen- sive or requires pre-authorization, H. D. Smith can provide services such as a co-pay discount card, a free trial offer of the Rx or help in getting the patient enrolled in the company's patient assis- tance program. The retail pharmacy program focuses on reaching the patients directly in cases where traditional retail or traditional mail-order services will not meet the unique needs of brand or specialty products. Offerings of pharme- ceutical manufacturer services support the offices, sales repre- sentatives and patients with dis- tribution of educational materi- als, drug samples or other infor- mation the companies need. One final H. D. Smith offering is the Specialty Pharmacy Nursing Network (SPNN). With more than 3,000 nurses across the country, SPNN provides patient care, education and support for clinical programs. The addition of SPNN greatly increases H. D. Smith's ability to improve the patient's experience during therapy on- boarding and on-going treatment with a manufacturer's drug. "By bringing together industry-lead- ing expertise in logistics and distribution with patient support, reimbursement services, and data capture, we are proud to say with confidence that H. D. Smith provides services and solutions that are customized according to the needs of our manufacturer partners," said Conda. For more information, visit booth 5216 at the Total Store Expo, go online to www.hdsmith.com, call 866-232-1222 or email at inquiry@hdsmith.com. SUCCESSFULLY MANAGE HEALTH, WELLNESS INITIATIVES WITH RXTOUCH The practice of pharmacy is changing. Industry margins from filling prescrip- tions have been on a steady decline for several years and are continuing on the downward trend. Conversely, margins for cognitive pharmacy services are increasing. According to the APhA, more than 90 percent of patients who received wellness coaching in a pharma- cy were satisfied with the service and showed improved outcomes across mul- tiple wellness indicators. Additionally, a study by the National Institute of Health (NIH) cited that "revenues for these serv- ices exceeded their costs when these services were performed by a pharma- cist." The challenge faced in pharmacy today is finding ways to capitalize on these revenue opportunities without sac- rificing patient satisfaction. MarkeTouch Media's service line, RxTouch, enables pharmacies to execute and realize their internal goals for patient care. RxTouch allows pharmacies to quantify and measure the outcomes of a wide array of programs that can be indi- vidually configured for different uses. RxTouch services are utilized to deliver over 150 Million notifications and sched- ule 2MM appointments annually on behalf of over 8000 pharmacy locations across North America. The services increase revenue, efficiency, and cus- tomer satisfaction. The RxTouch Health and Wellness Scheduler provides an electronic plat- form to manage all aspects of an in-store clinic or Health and Wellness campaign, including immunizations, screenings, consultations, classes, and store tours. Pharmacies can staff appropriately, matching staff hours with the duties scheduled for the day, and forecast inven- tory accurately, thus enhancing prof- itability by reducing over- head. Many chains use this solution to enable "roaming providers" to schedule availability at multiple locations instead of employing clinical staff in every store. Additionally, the Scheduler can be con- figured for use with a call center. Philecia Avery, Director of Pharmacy Operations for Kroger, said "The MarkeTouch Media Health and Wellness Scheduler allows our pharma- cists and call center staff to schedule appointments online and by phone which makes the scheduling process easy and convenient for our patients." The Scheduler's intuitive interface is placed on a client's website as a cus- tomized link so that patients have a seam- less experience. Patients are able to reg- ister for their specific needs and receive immediate confirmation of their appoint- ment(s). Forms and instructions are pro- vided to the patient ahead of time to increase satisfaction and efficiency. Store staff can easily manage availability and have visibility to patient appointments. The scheduler offers centralized tools to ensure that labor dollars and other financial met- rics are accounted for before the schedule is opened to the public for appointments. In addi- tion, the Scheduler provides a direct rev- enue source through Pharma sponsor- ships, corporate partnerships, and front- end promotions. With over a decade of experience, MarkeTouch Media has designed and implemented industry leading solutions. Its collective knowledge and best prac- tices puts subscribers at the forefront of health and wellness technology. MarkeTouch Media provides a depend- able platform that is customized to meet client goals and includes robust reporting capabilities. All RxTouch services are hosted, so there is no hardware or soft- ware required onsite; this allows pharma- cies to implement state of the art technol- ogy solutions without investing in costly infrastructure. For more information, visit MarkeTouch Media at booth 3017 or online at www.rxtouch.com.