Improved Adherence: MHA Specialty Pharmacy Solutions (MHA) and Barnes Precision Specialty Pharmacy Reveal Findings of Clinical Therapy Management Study at 4th National IgNS Conference

FLORHAM PARK, N.J., Sept. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Managed Health Care Associates, Inc. (MHA), a leading health care services and technology company focused on the alternate site health care provider marketplace, along with Barnes Healthcare Services, a complex care provider of specialty, retail, and infusion medication and ventilation services, will be sharing findings that reveal improved adherence for patients on immune globulin therapy at the 4th National Immune Globulin National Society (IgNS) Conference taking place September 18-20, 2015 in Washington, DC. The findings are the result of a joint study on adherence in patients utilizing MHA's Specialty Pharmacy Solutions (SPS) Clinical Therapy Management (CTM) patient management software system.

The findings will be shared by way of a poster, titled "Impact of the Clinical Therapy Management Program for Immune Globulin on Adherence for Patients at Barnes Precision Specialty Pharmacy." The poster will be presented by Stacey Ness, PharmD, CSP, MSCS, AAHIVP, Director of MHA Specialty Clinical Services and John Ford, RPh, BCNSP, CSP, Vice President of Barnes Clinical Services.   

Managing immune globulin therapy and achieving positive results in a complex patient population is a multifaceted challenge due to product variations, administration considerations, patient monitoring, reimbursement challenges, and increasing data requirements. In order to meet the needs of patients, prescriber referral sources, manufacturers, payers, accreditation bodies, and internal clinical management, Barnes Precision Specialty Pharmacy implemented MHA's SPS CTM software system to track and monitor immune globulin patients. The joint study leveraging the CTM software system compared the patient population in the six months prior to implementation of the CTM software system and 6 months after implementation. The study showed a significant increase in the total number of fills, average number of fills per patient, and average number of grams per patient after implementation of the CTM software system. Whether this increased adherence impacted clinical outcomes is yet to be determined; however, it is hypothesized that the pharmacist's use of the CTM software system to manage immune globulin patients brought about the increased focus on adherence and persistency, which thus could equate to clinical benefit. The results suggest that further analysis to characterize clinical outcomes is warranted.

Dr. Ness states, "The findings of improved adherence for patients who participated in the CTM's comprehensive clinical management program for immune globulin therapy at Barnes Precision Specialty Pharmacy during this study period demonstrate the CTM platform's value in addition to providing a mechanism to enhance pharmacy driven patient care and facilitate the collection of clinical metrics for specialty reporting."

"MHA's Clinical Therapy Management program is one strategy that Barnes Healthcare Services uses to manage complex therapeutic categories and work towards optimal patient outcomes and excellent customer service for all stakeholders." John Ford further elaborated, "With the findings of this study, we are able to demonstrate and quantify the improvements in adherence when using the CTM program."

About MHA
Managed Health Care Associates, Inc. (MHA) is a leading health care services and technology company focused on the alternate site health care provider marketplace.   MHA provides expertise in Group Purchasing, Managed Care and Payer Contracting, Reimbursement Management, Specialty Pharmacy Solutions, Pharmaceutical Data Analytics, Consultant Pharmacy Software and Legislative Advocacy. Through the delivery of innovative and timely health care services and solutions, MHA helps members increase operational efficiency, maximize business growth and provide optimum care for their patients. For more information, visit www.mhainc.com.

About MHA Specialty Pharmacy Solutions
MHA Specialty Pharmacy Solutions is dedicated to optimally position specialty pharmacy members and business partners to succeed in an increasingly dynamic health care environment. We maximize opportunities for success by providing access, clinical information, and valuable resources that support improved outcomes for our member pharmacies while assisting with data insights and performance reporting requirements. Our experience in strategic contract implementation enables us to align the resources and expertise of our business partners with ever-expanding opportunities across our vast network of member pharmacies. By supplying our partners with data and analytics that report trends and metrics, we support therapy adherence and contract compliance.

About Barnes Healthcare Services
Barnes Healthcare Services was founded in 1909 by Charles W. Barnes, RPh, in a corner drug store in Valdosta, Georgia. In those days, medications were compounded by hand and the horse was the main mode of transportation. In 1946, Barnes Healthcare Services supplied its first patient with a hospital bed, oxygen and a wheelchair. The business has been passed down through three generations to Charles W. Barnes, III, also a pharmacist, whose vision, dedication to the patient, and desire to be the best provider in the area has grown the business to 14 locations in Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Tennessee.

For More Information Contact:
Angela Elsier
Director of Marketing
Managed Health Care Associates, Inc.
800-642-3020 X2870
[email protected]

SOURCE Managed Health Care Associates, Inc. (MHA)

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