October 15th 2020, were announced that Tabula Rasa HealthCare, Inc., a healthcare technology company advancing the field of medication safety, in collaboration with the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), starting the campaign, “Medication Safety Starts with a Pharmacist,” aimed at educating consumers on the importance of medication safety, the risks of adverse drug events (ADEs), and the essential role of the pharmacist on the patient care team.
Not so long ago Tabula Rasa HealthCare announced the acquisition of Personica, LLC and its subsidiaries PersonifilRx, Pharmastar and PersonifilRx New England (collectively, “Personica”).
“For many years we worked closely with the Personica team to serve the pharmacy needs of our PACE clients, and we have long admired the highly-respected business their team built,” said TRHC Chairman and CEO, Calvin H. Knowlton, PhD. “This addition to our CareVention HealthCare Business Unit increases our pharmacy footprint and advances our pharmacy offering to serve 340B entities, which represent some of the largest PACE programs. Additionally, it strengthens our ability to cross-sell highly complementary solutions.”
1 Million Emergency Room Visits
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calculate that ADEs contribute to more than 1 million emergency room visits and over 250,000 hospitalizations in the United States, many of which are preventable. During the COVID-19 pandemic were introduced many unknowns, including the use of various repurposed treatments, and soon, new vaccines to combat COVID-19. That’s why customers need to be aware of how these potential treatments may interact with their current medication regimens, and pharmacists can be very helpful in this situation to help keep patients safer, and healthier.
“We are excited to partner with the APhA to emphasize the importance of patient engagement for safer, healthier living,” said TRHC Chairman and CEO, Calvin H. Knowlton, Ph.D. “Pharmacists are essential health care professionals with access to clinical knowledge and novel technology to help patients personalize their medication regimens and mitigate adverse drug events.”
Pharmacists Through Pandemic
To date pharmacists are among the most accessible clinical experts and are ready to help lead patient care teams. COVID-19 infection already take more than 222,000 lives, there are 8 million cases were registered in U.S. only. During this hard times pharmacists as essential healthcare workers, pharmacists have provided unwavering support despite COVID-19 and continue to play an integral role in promoting medication safety.
The pandemic has also highlighted the key public health functions community pharmacists play in medication therapy, chronic disease management, self-care recommendations, vaccinations, point-of-care screening and testing services, and adherence support (1–4). Although the role of pharmacists in chronic disease prevention and management is well established, the COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the critical contributions community pharmacists make during an infectious disease outbreak.
“We appreciate the opportunity to partner with TRHC to advocate for medication safety among patients and elevate pharmacists as integral members of the care team,” said Rafael Saenz, PharmD, Chief of Staff for APhA. “When patients partner with pharmacists to learn more about their medication regimen, they are taking greater control to better their overall health.”
