Developing and marketing a community pharmacy-based asthma management program

OBJECTIVE: To develop a community pharmacy-based asthma management program and successfully market the program to a managed care organization. SETTING: Community-based ambulatory care. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: Independent community pharmacy. PRACTICE INNOVATION: Development of a structured, stepwise approach to creating, testing, delivering, and marketing a community pharmacy-based disease management program. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Peak expiratory flow rates, quality of life, use of health care services, HMO contract renewal. RESULTS: A pharmacy-based asthma management program was developed, pilot tested, and successfully marketed to a local HMO. During the first full year of the program, HMO patients experienced significant improvements in quality of life and decreases in use of health care services, including a 77% decrease in hospitalization, a 78% decrease in emergency room visits, and a 25% decrease in urgent care visits. A contract that pays the pharmacy a flat fee for each patient admitted to the program has recently been renewed for a third year. CONCLUSION: The program has proved to be an effective, practical, and profitable addition to the portfolio of services offered by the pharmacy.