United Drugs to implement PQS' 'EQuIPP' platform
PHOENIX — United Drugs, a member-owned pharmacy services administration organization, has announced that it is implementing Pharmacy Quality Solutions’ EQuIPP information-management platform to help its network of 1,300 independent pharmacies better understand performance metrics and to improve patient care and clinical outcomes.
“With the shift to value-based purchasing, the U.S. healthcare system faces significant transformation. Payers are navigating the complexities of a new reimbursement environment, and independent pharmacists must be able to show value by driving quality metrics and positive outcomes,” stated Robert McMahan, president of United Drugs.
In the traditional fee-for-service reimbursement environment, transaction volume was critical. But, today, payments also hinge upon quality, added Jon Copeland, CEO of United Drugs’ parent organization American Associated Pharmacies. “Our network pharmacies face exacting metrics in the dynamic and competitive world of accountable care, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service Star ratings, medication adherence and bundled payments. Therefore, innovation and the delivery of measurable patient-care improvements are among our top priorities.”
The ability to dashboard and track quality performance is a key component of United Drugs’ 2014 quality-network strategy.
“Our goal is to leverage the EQuIPP platform — and a variety of other tools to be announced soon — to increase Star ratings measurements for our pharmacies in a way that will provide greater network access going forward,” McMahan added.
Pharmacy Quality Solutions’ president David Nau stated, “Measuring performance is powerful in transforming the quality of the medication-use system, but only if pharmacies have access to standard dashboards that objectively reflect how they compare against meaningful quality measures. Our goal is to accelerate this transformation by making EQuIPP services broadly available so we can rapidly move from measurement to improvement. EQuIPP use by the United Drugs’ nationwide membership is a major win for quality expansion.”