New Solutions from UpToDate Offer Accessible, Sustainable Patient Education

Wolters Kluwer Health has announced the launch of 2 new pharmacy solutions from UpToDate Digital Architect: UpToDate Digital Medication Education and UpToDate Consumer Education. These offerings “provide pharmacy consumers with accessible medication and health information, supporting adherence and helping boost pharmacies’ shift to include paperless, digital experiences,” according to a news release.¹

These solutions are intended to address the changing roles of pharmacies and pharmacists within the American health care landscape: Nearly 60% of Americans are likely to make their local pharmacy their first stop when seeking non-emergency health care.²

According to the Wolters Kluwer Health Pharmacy Next survey, 2 in 5 Americans do not read the medication printouts that they receive with their prescriptions; these leaflets—frequently multiple pages long—can provide crucial health and safety information. When unread, consumers may experience health safety issues.

Switching to digital medication leaflets also allows pharmacies to embrace a more sustainable business model: Providing digital information means that pharmacies can decrease paper consumption and the associated printing costs. The FDA first introduced a proposal to reduce paper medication information with digital information in 2014, but an “obscure clause” in an FDA Congressional spending bill blocked the move.³ Since then, advocates from the Alliance to Modernize Prescribing Information and the Pharmaceutical Printed Literature Association have continued to clash over the issue.

Through UpToDate Digital Medical Education, pharmacists can provide patients with digital medical education, when appropriate. Educational materials can be sent as a link through text or email, or can be accessed through a QR code printed on a patient’s prescription bottle. According to Pharmacy Next survey data, nearly 75% of Americans are open to the idea of using QR codes or links to access information, rather than physical printouts. Providing this information in a digital format allows consumers to access “critical medication information when and how they wish.”

Within the platform, information for more than 3900 adult and pediatric medications, covering upwards of 130,000 national drug codes, including FDA medication guides, 80,000 national drug codes with images, and CDC vaccine information statements.

“Retail pharmacies are doubling down on patient experience and playing a much more central role in educating patients on their medications and overall health,” said Christopher Sullivan, vice president for clinical effectiveness, commercial segment, at Wolters Kluwer Health, in a statement. “UpToDate Digital Architect helps pharmacists deliver effective care, stay informed about the latest medical advancements, and tailor educational resources to meet each patient’s needs.”

Similarly, UpToDate Consumer Education empowers retail pharmacists to “build deeper engagement and adherence with reliable, evidence-based condition content from UpToDate,” the release noted. Data from a 2023 Wolters Kluwer survey showed that two-thirds of patients still had follow-up questions following visits with a health care provider.⁴ This content, which includes more than 650 interactive videos and more than 8500 consumer-friendly articles, is intended to help patients cultivate a deeper understanding of their treatment and can help answer those questions.

These new solutions from UpToDate Digital Architect will be demonstrated at the 2024 National Association of Chain Drug Stores Total Store Expo, taking place August 17 to August 19 in Boston, Massachusetts. Attendees can visit Wolters Kluwer at Booth #1339 during exhibit hall hours.

Data from the 2024 Pharmacy Next survey were collected online between July 10 and July 15, 2024, and included responses from 1002 US adults aged 18 years and older. The survey results have not yet been published.

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References

1. Wolters Kluwer helps retail pharmacies go paperless with digital solutions for medication and health education. News release. Wolters Kluwer. August 14, 2024. Accessed August 15, 2024. https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/news/wolters-kluwer-helps-retail-pharmacies-go-paperless-digital-solutions-medication-health-education

2. Wolters Kluwer’s Pharmacy Next survey shows 58% of Americans likely to first seek non-emergency healthcare at pharmacies. News release. Wolters Kluwer. May 17, 2023. Accessed August 15, 2024. https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/news/survey-shows-americans-seek-non-emergency-healthcare-at-pharmacies

3. Holger D. One change could help US drugmakers save 11 million trees a year. Wall Street Journal. June 15, 2023. Accessed August 15, 2024. https://www.wsj.com/articles/one-change-could-help-u-s-drugmakers-save-11-million-trees-a-year-74c077f2

4. Wolters Kluwer survey reveals two-thirds of patients still have questions after healthcare visits. News release. Wolters Kluwer. February 15, 2023. Accessed August 15, 2024. https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/news/wolters-kluwer-survey-reveals-two-thirds-of-patients-still-have-questions-after-healthcare-visits