Reaching Patients Could Use a Bit of Incentive

Five years ago, we moved from central Pennsylvania to Morgantown, West Virginia. Our goal was to live closer to my grandson, Luke. “Living closer” turned out to be “next door.” Since then, we have added Leo, now 2 years old. Luke, my 8-year-old grandson, is on summer vacation.

Pharmacists face numerous challenges daily while striving to provide optimal care for their patients. | Image Credit: Clayton D/peopleimages.com - stock.adobe.com

My older grandson is beginning to understand the importance of money. He has conceived several ambitious projects, such as opening a lemonade stand on our street, which experiences minimal traffic. Granddad came up with a few ideas.

Recycling is not mandatory in our area, so we take the recycling for both households to the transfer station. I decided to make an additional stop at Jack’s Recycling, where Luke could redeem our aluminum cans. The owner provided him with an informative lecture about financial management and compensated him with $6. Luke has developed a keen interest in recycling now that he recognizes its economic benefits.

Weeds were appearing in the mulch beds at our homes, so I offered to pay Luke “a penny per weed.” Luke meticulously counted each weed he pulled and placed them in the bucket. He collected over 300 weeds and received $3 for his work. Luke recognizes the financial benefit of completing tasks around the house and is willing to perform these duties to earn money.

As pharmacists, we face numerous challenges daily while striving to provide optimal pharmaceutical care for our patients. We often encounter situations where we have a significant backlog of prescriptions, multiple phones ringing simultaneously, dissatisfied customers, and individuals awaiting their shingles vaccinations. Amid these demanding circumstances, we receive notifications to prioritize the completion of comprehensive medication reviews (CMRs).

Pharmacists play a pivotal role in modern health care, extending their expertise far beyond dispensing medications from “the bench.” CMRs represent one of the most impactful contributions pharmacists make to optimizing health outcomes for our Medicare Part D patients. By conducting thorough evaluations of patients’ medication regimens, pharmacists identify potential issues such as drug interactions, inappropriate dosages, or adherence challenges. These reviews ensure the safety and efficacy of treatments and empower patients with the knowledge to manage their medications effectively.

When we have a few minutes of downtime on the bench, we attempt to contact individuals on our roster to complete the CMRs. Unfortunately, we manage to reach a patient less than half the time. Typically, we spend around 10 minutes preparing for these encounters by reviewing medications, completing directions, and verifying ongoing use of the prescribed medications. Subsequently, we dial the phone number provided by the managed care organization (MCO).

Often, the phone line is disconnected, or we reach a voicemail asking us to leave a message. We then cross-check the MCO-provided phone number against our profiles and attempt another contact number. Patients frequently change their contact numbers, which leads to challenges in reaching It can be challenging for older adults to answer the phone.

It can be challenging for older adults to answer the phone. Many publications aimed at older adults advise against answering unsolicited calls due to the prevalence of “spoof calls” attempting to access personal information. This contributes to difficulties in reaching patients to complete CMRs.

When contact is made with a patient, important information is often provided. These interventions are beneficial for the pharmacy, not only in terms of financial remuneration but also due to their impact on the pharmacy’s Medicare Star Ratings.

MCOs are known to incentivize patients with gift cards for undergoing physical examinations and other beneficial health interventions. The MCOs could easily motivate these patients to contact the pharmacy and arrange a mutually agreeable time for a call and subsequently reward the patient with a $25 gift card. It is important to note that many of our patients would greatly appreciate a gift card, as well as the personalized one-on-one treatment the CMR program was designed to provide.

Whether you are an 8-year-old like Luke or a 68-year-old like me, financial incentives can be effective. Sometimes, a monetary reward is necessary to motivate individuals to complete tasks such as pulling weeds, recycling cans, or finishing a CMR assignment.

To read these stories and more, download the PDF of the Drug Topics July/August issue here.

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