NACDS RxIMPACT Calls for Support of Texas Medication Synchronization Bills

2017-02-16T13:48:00-05:00Categories: Article|Tags: , |

NACDS RxIMPACT is mobilizing a campaign urging support in Texas for legislation introduced by Sens. Dawn Buckingham (R), Charles Schwertner (R), Donna Campbell (R), Craig Estes (R) and Rep. John Frullo (R)—S.B. 697 and H.B. 1296—that will enable patients to synchronize the fill date of their prescription medications so they can order and receive all of their prescriptions on the same day each month instead of having to make multiple visits to the pharmacy.

Many of our senior patients have limited mobility and low income. Passage of the Prescription Drug Synchronization bill would help improve medication compliance.

NACDS RxIMPACT issued an alert yesterday urging advocates in Texas to generate support for the bill by writing their legislators.

NACDS is part of the Medication Synchronization Coalition in Texas, which also sent letters to lawmakers in the Texas Senate and House urging support for the bills. In the letters, the coalition pointed to several studies which have shown that medication synchronization has enhanced patient communication with healthcare teams and markedly improved medication adherence.

Anecdotal evidence also supports medication synchronization. Paul Howell, RPh, pharmacy manager at H-E-B in Harker Heights, Tex., said, “Many of our senior patients have limited mobility and low income. Passage of the Prescription Drug Synchronization bill would help improve medication compliance. This would lead to lower downstream costs due to fewer hospitalizations as well as an overall improvement in quality of life.  I have had patients literally forget about one of their medications because of confusion of when and what they are picking up from the pharmacy.”

Medication synchronization practices also help to reduce costs. Poor medication adherence costs the U.S. healthcare system $290 billion annually, which accounts for about 13 percent of total healthcare expenditures and results in increased emergency room visits, hospital stays and other costly and avoidable repercussions.

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