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Cardinal Health Introduces New Offerings to Help Independent Retail Pharmacies Maximize Revenue, Extend Patient Care
07/26/2007
Company expands Leader® Total Pharmacy Manager services at 18th annual Retail Business Conference
BOSTON, July 26, 2007 — Cardinal Health, a global provider of products and services that improve the safety and productivity of health care, today introduced enhanced tools and services designed to help independent retail pharmacies maximize revenue and improve patient care.
These new offerings are the latest addition to Leader® Total Pharmacy Manager, the company’s comprehensive suite of services that help retail independent pharmacies enhance revenue and drive productivity by improving front-end and back-end pharmacy operations.
New offerings added to the Leader® Total Pharmacy Manager Margin Suite, which focuses on improving a pharmacy’s overall margin potential and increases its operational efficiencies, include:
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Pre-adjudication editing – To round out its full suite of third-party claim management offerings, Cardinal Health is now working with eRx Network, a leading provider of third-party claims management and analysis, to introduce pre-adjudication editing services to Leader® members. This new offering is the industry’s first to be offered for a flat monthly fee. It performs a series of edits that include average wholesaler pricing updates, enhanced dispensed-as-written (DAW) code validation, formulary compliance, standard dispense quantity checks and discontinued product alerts. By automating financial, administrative and legal compliance reviews on prescriptions prior to sending them to processors, this offering helps prevent auditing errors and underpaid claims. Now, Leader® members have a one-stop solution for management of third-party claims, from contracting through reconciliation.
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Medication therapy management (MTM) – The Medicare Modernization Act requires pharmacists to offer MTM services to Medicare Part D-eligible patients, to improve patient health and reduce medication costs. Cardinal Health has further expanded its comprehensive managed care offering to now provide network enrollment, training and online resources to help pharmacy customers get reimbursed for delivering these patient care services to eligible patients. This assistance is available at no additional cost to members of LeaderNET®, Cardinal Health’s comprehensive managed care offering for retail independent pharmacies, and to retail chain pharmacies that are enrolled in Managed Care Connection®.
- Audit Assistance – Cardinal Health now also provides audit assistance to all Leader® members. Cardinal Health audit specialists teach pharmacy owners and staff how to identify audit triggers, understand auditor techniques and set staff policies and procedures to minimize errors and losses when being audited by a third-party payer.
New tools added to Leader® Total Pharmacy Manager’s Sales Suite, designed to increase front-of-store sales and traffic, include:
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General merchandise – In recognition of the importance of diversifying an independent retail pharmacy’s business, Cardinal Health is introducing a vast portfolio of general merchandise products. Currently in its pilot stage, this new offering will roll out to the entire Cardinal Health independent pharmacy customer base in 2008. It provides access to a broad array of front-of-store products ranging from soaps and cleaning supplies to film, video, batteries and cosmetics. It will also include a new program, called The Value Store, which provides access to $1 general merchandise items.
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Updated print advertising program – The new Cardinal Health print advertising offering – Leader® Promotions – now provides Leader® customers with up to $175-worth of free advertising materials each month, including circulars, bag-stuffers, window signs, coupon books and a new consumer magazine, Sound mind. Sound Body. Additionally, Leader® Promotions includes a new line of seasonal merchandise featuring Valentine’s Day, Spring and Summer, back-to-school, Halloween and Winter holiday merchandise. Customers have the option of selecting specific products or they can opt for suggested order quantities.
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In-store clinics – Store-based clinics provide another opportunity for independent pharmacies to expand their health-care reach and better serve the needs of their communities. Cardinal Health recently formed an alliance to make Corner Care Clinics available to its retail pharmacy customers. Corner Care Clinics provide compassionate, convenient, and cost-effective care for many common ailments ranging from asthma and ear infections to insect bites and strep throat, at average cost of $55-$75. Staffed by nurse practitioners, a Corner Care Clinic can help pharmacies meet their communities' demands for quality, affordable, convenient care.
These offerings were introduced at the Cardinal Health Retail Business Conference (RBC) held July 25-28 in Boston. With the mission of strengthening the market position of retail independent pharmacists, RBC 2007 provides more than 4,000 attendees – pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and other pharmacy industry professionals across the U.S. – with buying opportunities, continuing education sessions and programs to help improve patient care, efficiency and profitability.
“Thanks to our industry-leading retail pharmacy solutions and our decades of industry experience, we're helping customers meet and beat their revenue and margin goals in every part of their store,” said Mark Parrish, CEO of Healthcare Supply Chain Services for Cardinal Health. “We are committed to independent pharmacy, and we view it as our responsibility to continue to find new ways to deliver valuable services that ensure community pharmacies thrive for generations to come.”
About Cardinal Health
Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH) is an $80 billion, global company serving the health-care industry with products and services that help hospitals, physician offices and pharmacies reduce costs, improve safety, productivity and profitability, and deliver better care to patients. With a focus on making supply chains more efficient, reducing hospital-acquired infections and breaking the cycle of harmful medication errors, Cardinal Health develops market-leading technologies, including Alaris® IV pumps, Pyxis® automated dispensing systems, MedMined® data mining software and the CareFusion™ patient identification system. The company also manufactures medical and surgical products and is one of the largest distributors of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies worldwide. Ranked No. 19 on the Fortune 500 and No. 1 in its sector on Fortune's ranking of Most Admired firms, Cardinal Health employs more than 40,000 people on five continents. More information about the company may be found at www.cardinalhealth.com.