Charleston, S.C.-based Accountable Care Coalition of the Tri-Counties, a Universal American Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO, is launching a pilot program aiming to help primary care physicians work more closely with local pharmacies.
The pilot will be conducted through a partnership with Community PerformanceRx Management Services Organization, a national network of independently-owned pharmacies. Under the partnership, primary care physicians from Accountable Care Coalition of the Tri-Counties will share data and frequently communicate with independent community pharmacies to better understand outcomes and evaluate risk for beneficiaries.
"We are eager to launch a pilot that encourages primary care physicians and pharmacies to work together," Michael Barrett, member of the governing body of ACC of the Tri-Counties and senior vice president of the Southeast Region for Collaborative Health Systems, said in a statement. "The medical community struggles with managing medication from a cost and patient safety perspective. We believe these challenges can be addressed through closer collaboration between physicians and pharmacists given the invaluable role pharmacists play in supporting patients' health."
If the pilot is successful, Community PerformanceRx hopes to form more partnerships with other ACOs, Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare Part D pans and Independent Physician Associations, among other entities.
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