Rite Aid introduces new med sync program

Rite Aid announced last month that it had recently introduced a new medication synchronization program called OneTripRefills.

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“As part of our efforts to make our pharmacy experience more convenient, we successfully launched our new OneTripRefills program during the quarter,” Ken Martindale, Rite Aid president and CEO, told analysts during a June 18 earnings call. “The program has been well received by our patients, and when combined with our existing service to send alerts via text message, email or phone when a prescription is ready to be picked up, it creates a more patient-friendly experience for our Rite Aid customers.”



Far from just an auto-refill program, the new medication synchronization program creates more time for Rite Aid pharmacists to perform more patient-facing care. “It provides us with an opportunity to interact with our patients and have meaningful conversations about their medication regimen, overall health and their individual needs and wellness goals,” company spokeswoman Ashley Flower told DSN.



In addition to providing a service that makes picking up prescriptions more convenient for patients, med sync programs have been shown to help improve patient adherence and generate incremental prescription fills. According to a 2013 study published in the Journal of the American Pharmacy Association, “Adherence and Persistence Associated with an Appointment-Based Medication Synchronization Model,” more than 89% of patients enrolled in medication synchronization programs were adherent with therapy versus 57% adherence rates among patients who were not enrolled in med sync, resulting in about three more scripts filled each year per patient.