Developing and marketing a community pharmacy-based asthma management program.
OBJECTIVE
To develop a community pharmacy-based asthma management program and successfully market the program to a managed care organization.


METHODS
Community-based ambulatory care.


METHODS
Independent community pharmacy.


METHODS
Development of a structured, stepwise approach to creating, testing, delivering, and marketing a community pharmacy-based disease management program.


METHODS
Peak expiratory flow rates, quality of life, use of health care services, HMO contract renewal.


RESULTS
A pharmacy-based asthma management program was developed, pilot tested, and successfully marketed to a local HMO. During the first full year of the program, HMO patients experienced significant improvements in quality of life and decreases in use of health care services, including a 77% decrease in hospitalization, a 78% decrease in emergency room visits, and a 25% decrease in urgent care visits. A contract that pays the pharmacy a flat fee for each patient admitted to the program has recently been renewed for a third year.


CONCLUSIONS
The program has proved to be an effective, practical, and profitable addition to the portfolio of services offered by the pharmacy.
Rupp
M T
MT
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. 47907, USA. rupp@pharmacy.purdue.edu
McCallian
D J
DJ
Sheth
K K
KK
D000293:Adolescent; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008329:Managed Care Programs; D008389:Marketing of Health Services; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D016730:Program Development; D011788:Quality of Life