AllianceRx Walgreens Prime study demonstrates oral oncology split-fill program drives adherence, reduces costs and decreases medication waste

ORLANDO, Fla., March 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- AllianceRx Walgreens Prime announced results from a new study demonstrating the company's oral oncology split-fill program resulted in a high rate of patient adherence, significantly reduced pharmacy costs and decreased medication waste. The results were selected for a podium presentation and will be honored with a platinum ribbon at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy 2019 Annual Meeting, March 25-28, in San Diego.

Walgreens, a parent company of AllianceRx Walgreens Prime, launched the oral oncology split-fill program in 2008, which is now being managed by AllianceRx Walgreens Prime. The program serves to help reduce plan costs, minimize medication waste and provide cost savings to patients and payers.

Under the program, AllianceRx Walgreens Prime may dispense a partial supply — typically 14 to 16 days, as opposed to 28 days — of certain medications to new-to-therapy patients, supporting third-party payer pharmacy benefits. These medications often have high patient discontinuation rates at initiation of therapy due to adverse side effects or disease progression. By reducing the supply of medication dispensed, waste and cost are reduced as medication that will not be used is not dispensed.

"This study demonstrates our oral oncology split-fill program provides increased savings and improved adherence, underscoring our commitment to helping payers reduce pharmacy costs while clinically managing patients," said Rick Miller, vice president, clinical and professional services at AllianceRx Walgreens Prime. "We continue to expand the number of medications available under our split-fill program to support patients and maximize the investments health plans make in their patients."

Rina Shah, vice president, pharmacy operations and specialty at Walgreens, says the split-fill program is an important part of Walgreens' focus on creating partnerships that provide innovative opportunities to better serve customers. "With a split-fill program, providers have a pharmacy partner to help monitor and counsel patients and the flexibility to change doses or medications with minimal waste," says Shah.

The study included 2,363 patients who were new to therapy on an oral oncology split-fill medication between September 2015 and August 2017. Throughout the study, pharmacy staff proactively contacted patients prior to completing the initial dispensed medication to assess how they were tolerating the new medication and identification of patient-reported side effects. The study compared patients with a split-fill option to similar patients without this option, on patient discontinuation rates, patient-reported side effects, estimated pharmacy costs, and potential waste.

In the first three months of the study, payers implementing a split-fill program saved on average $2,724 per month when prescribed one of the study medications. To verify the findings, researchers then modeled patients whose pharmacy benefits included a split-fill component to patients whose benefits had no split-fill component. The findings verified payers without a split-fill program could expect a 14-day savings of $2,782 per member when prescribed one of the study medications in pharmacy costs by implementing an oral oncology split-fill option. 

About AllianceRx Walgreens Prime
AllianceRx Walgreens Prime (alliancerxwp.com) is a specialty and home delivery pharmacy that strives to provide exceptional care throughout a patient's treatment journey with the medications they need every day. Formed in 2017 through a collaboration between Walgreens, one of the nation's largest chain drug stores, and Prime Therapeutics, a leading pharmacy benefit manager, the company offers tools and resources for patients, providers and health plans to deliver the optimal health outcomes. The company is headquartered in Orlando, Fla. and its pharmacies are accredited by several national pharmacy accreditation services.

About Walgreens
Walgreens (walgreens.com), one of the nation's largest drugstore chains, is included in the Retail Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ: WBA), the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise. Approximately 8 million customers interact with Walgreens in stores and online each day, using the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice. As of August 31, 2018, Walgreens operates 9,560 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with its omnichannel business, Walgreens.com. Approximately 400 Walgreens stores offer Healthcare Clinic or other provider retail clinic services.

Media contact:
Adrienne Foley
[email protected]

SOURCE AllianceRx Walgreens Prime

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