Your Pharmacist Knows

There are a variety of tools to help you take the right medication at the right time in the right way.

Adherence Packaging

What is adherence packaging?

• All of your medications are sorted into a morning/noon/afternoon/bedtime organizer.
• This is packaged at the pharmacy.

Medication Synchronization

• This is simply filling all medications on the same day each month.
• Medications still come in individual bottles.
• The pharmacy is often able to set this up.
• It helps reduce the number of trips you have to make to the pharmacy.
• This can decrease how often you forget to fill a medication.

Benefits to Adherence Tools

• You are more likely to take your medication correctly.
• You are more likely to take your medications at the right time each day.
• You are more likely to fill your medications on time.
• You are more likely to pick up all of your medications from the pharmacy at the same time.
• You see your pills gone from a box each day which can help you stay on track with your medications.
• You see if you did or did not take your medications.
• You are less likely to take too much or too little of a medication.

Medication Therapy Management (MTM) and Medication Therapy Review (MTR)

Pharmacists are not only able to give you most immunizations you may need, they are also trained to determine which immunizations you need based on your age and other factors. Some immunizations do require a prescription, and your pharmacist will work with your physician to obtain that prescription and provide you the immunization at your pharmacy for your convenience. Ask your pharmacist to help get you started.

Available immunizations vary by pharmacy. If you think you may be due for an immunization, start by asking your pharmacist which immunizations you might need.

What can pharmacists do?

• Educate you on basic information in a variety of conditions/diseases, such as:
  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Heart and vascular disease
• Provide you with counseling on the purpose of a medication, proper use of a medication and other information that you may want to know (for example, side effects to watch out for).
• Identify potential medication problems that may happen (e.g., drug-disease interactions).
• Provide tips on lifestyle adjustments and alternative nonmedication advice.

What are the benefits of patient education?

• You can have your questions answered and be provided a better understanding of your medication use and disease management.
• Pharmacists can help you prevent potential medication problems and reduce visits to acute care.
• You can increase adherence to medication therapy.
• You can know more about managing your disease state and lifestyle changes to decrease risk factors.
• You can improve your health conditions.

What education programs to pharmacists participate in?

• National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) focuses on helping people with prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes in the United States.
  • The program focuses on lifestyle changes such as healthy eating and physical activity.
  • You can find NDPP sites in South Dakota such as Yankton, Platte, Aberdeen, Rapid City, Sioux Falls and Spearfish.¹
• Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) supports you with the knowledge, skill and ability necessary for diabetes self-care.¹
  • You can find locations that offer DSME throughout South Dakota:
    • Southwest South Dakota: Custer, Rapid City, Deadwood, Rosebud.
    • Southeast South Dakota: Canton, Vermillion, Viborg, Mitchell, Madison, Wagner, Platte, Sioux Falls.
    • Northeast South Dakota: Aberdeen, Mobridge, Brookings, Pierre, Clear Lake.
    • Northwest South Dakota: Spearfish, Sturgis.²

More information about NDPP and DSME can be found at the South Dakota Department of Health website.

Pharmacists can also educate you on reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Risk factors and ways to reduce your risk that you can discuss with your pharmacist include:

• Smoking and tobacco use
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Being overweight
• Exercising

Why does this matter to you?

• By controlling these risk factors, you can decrease your risk of having heart disease, a heart attack or a stroke.

Talk to your pharmacist to learn more about what classes are offered at your pharmacy or in your area.

More information on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and education on controlling risks can be found by visiting the South Dakota Department of Health website.

What are some specific examples of education provided by pharmacists and how it benefits you?

• If you want to keep your blood pressure down, pharmacists can provide tips to achieve your goal.
  • This might include talking about basic exercise techniques, how to limit the salt you eat, relaxation techniques and help with quitting smoking.
• Pharmacists can explain potential medication problems that could worsen blood pressure and can provide alternative medication suggestions when needed.
• Pharmacists can discuss alternative food options to help keep blood sugar down.
  • This may include things such as low-sugar ice cream products, nonsugar sweeteners and other healthy alternatives.
• Pharmacists can talk to you about why it is important to control cholesterol and may be able to help optimize medications used to treat cholesterol.
• Pharmacists can help you select a blood pressure monitor for your home or can check your blood pressure at the pharmacy.
• Pharmacists can assist you in stopping use of tobacco products by creating a plan based on your needs.

References:

1. Adapted from South Dakota Department of Health Diabetes Education
2. Adapted from South Dakota Diabetes Coalition
3. Adapted from South Dakota Department of Health Heart Disease

Tips to reduce medication costs

Pharmacists can help you:

• Enroll in coupon or benefits programs through drug manufacturers.
• Check which insurance plans will best cover the medications you need.
• Substitute generic medications if you are using brand-name medications unless otherwise indicated by your provider.
• Explore less expensive prescription alternatives to reduce costs.

Aside from cost savings, what other benefits are there?

• When medications are as cost-effective as possible, you are more likely to follow prescribed medication directions.
• You receive better access to your medications when pharmacists help get you the most cost-effective therapy.
• Through having the most cost-effective treatment, pharmacists hope to increase your satisfaction with medication use.

What if medications are still expensive for me?

Taking your prescribed medications may seem expensive now, but the long-term benefits will save you money.

Taking your prescribed medications is associated with reduced overall health costs through:

• Fewer hospital stays (decreasing hospital costs).
• Less emergency department visits (decreasing emergency room costs).
• Decreased medical spending overall.

Properly taking your medications has a larger impact on decreasing overall medical costs in patients age 65 and older.
Adapted from: Roebuck CM, Liberman JN, Gemmill-Toyama M, Brennan TA. Medication adherence leads to lower healthcare use in and costs despite increased drug spending. Health Affair. 2011 Jan; 30(1):91-99.

How can pharmacists help in your life?

• Pharmacists can help you properly understand and take your medications to decrease your other health care costs.
  • This can come from Medication Therapy Management (MTM) and Medication Therapy Review (MTR) sessions.
• Specific examples related to decreasing medication costs include:
  • Pharmacists can help you find the proper over-the-counter medications for your symptoms, during cold and flu season.
  • Pharmacists can help you use an online tool to determine Medicare Part D plan costs, during Medicare open enrollment.
  • Pharmacists can sometimes use in-store pharmacy discounts to lower costs when you have no insurance coverage.
  • Pharmacists can sometimes help you sign up for a manufacturer coupon to lower the cost of that medication, when you are prescribed a new medication.
  • Pharmacists can sometimes help you select Medicare plans and explain your options, before the enrollment period.