Studies have borne out the effectiveness of DTM programs for patients with chronic conditions. Comprehensive studies done by a leading pharmacy benefit manager and published in leading industry journals found that patients with chronic conditions achieved greater adherence and, consequently, better health through the use of DTM programs.

Multiple sclerosis patients enrolled in a seven-month DTM program showed greater adherence to injectable MS medications and treatment persistence than patients who received injectable MS medications through a community pharmacy. By the end of the program, DTM participants had a 33.6 percent reduction in MS relapses. Previously published research shows that insured patients with MS typically incur two- to three-times more health-related expenses than insured patients who do not have MS. By reducing the number of MS relapses—and therefore, the health-related expenses associated with those relapses—a DTM program can deliver significant reductions in healthcare costs.
Rheumatoid arthritis patients who enrolled in a seven-month, telephone-based DTM program, showed significantly higher adherence rates over patients who received their injectable RA medications through community pharmacies and did not participate in the DTM program. The average adherence rate for patients in the program was 83 percent, compared with an average of 60 percent for patients in the control group. These higher adherence rates, which were achieved through pharmacist and/or nurse phone calls, translated into better physical health for patients.

With more and more people delaying retirement, it becomes all the more imperative for employers to utilize an insurance plan that includes a clinician-based disease therapy management program. Many pharmacy benefit managers incorporate DTM programs into their product and services offerings because this personalized care for high-risk patients with chronic conditions provides very real benefits for both the patient and the employer.

Instant Insights /

How to improve outcomes with disease therapy management

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