Express Scripts Pharmacy Increases Adherence and Savings

At Express Scripts Pharmacy, home delivery of medications is more than just a convenient way to fill prescriptions. According to a recent study, these people who use Express Scripts Pharmacy also demonstrate better medication adherence, fewer trips to the emergency room, and fewer inpatient hospitalizations when compared to people filling their medications at retail.  The result is significant savings for plan sponsors, and better clinical outcomes for patients.

About the Study

The study was a retrospect analysis of pharmacy claims managed by Express Scripts in 2018 and 2019 among more than 1.75 million members with employer-provided insurance who use medications to treat diabetes, hypertension or high blood cholesterol – three of the most prevalent and costliest conditions for payers.

The analysis compared adherence rates (using medication possession ratio), emergency room visits and all-cause hospitalizations for people who filled their medications for diabetes, hypertension or high blood cholesterol via Express Scripts Pharmacy to people who filled their mediations at a retail pharmacy.

Better Adherence

The study found that people are more adherent to their medications when they fill their prescriptions at Express Scripts Pharmacy, where they receive care from specially-trained pharmacists who are available 24/7/365.

Better adherence for patients filling these prescriptions can add up to billions of dollars in annual savings in preventable medical costs, lost earnings, and lower productivity.

Among all three condition groups, people who received their medications delivered to their homes from Express Scripts Pharmacy were more likely to be adherent to their therapy than those who filled prescriptions at retail, specifically:

• 26% more likely to be adherent for patients filling diabetes medication
• 39% more likely to be adherent for patients filling hypertension medication
• 36% more likely to be adherent for patients filling blood cholesterol medication

Better Adherence = Fewer Downstream Medical Events

Therapy adherence is just the beginning of the benefits for those same Express Scripts Pharmacy patients compared to those who filled prescriptions at retail:

• 20% fewer expected all cause trips to the emergency room for patients filling diabetes medication and 18% fewer expected all-cause inpatient hospitalizations
• 23% fewer expected all cause trips to the emergency room for patients filling hypertension medication and 17% fewer expected all-cause inpatient hospitalizations 
• 18% fewer expected all cause trips to the emergency room for patients filling blood cholesterol medication and 12% fewer expected all-cause inpatient hospitalizations

The study also showed there is an impact on adherence among patients who switch delivery channels. Switching from Express Script Pharmacy to retail was associated with a decline in adherence and an increase in hospitalizations and emergency room visits.

High Member Satisfaction

More than 30 years ago, Express Scripts Pharmacy saw an unmet need: for patients to receive medicines they rely on every day in the comfort of their own homes. Their health and safety is most important, which is why we have highly specialized packaging, shipping and coordination services that comply with FDA-approved guidelines. In addition, our specially trained pharmacists are available to speak with patients 24/7 in the privacy of their own homes. We are proud to receive high approval ratings from our patients with them giving us a 96% approval rating.

In all, patients with better adherence save plan sponsors billions of dollars annually because they have fewer trips to the emergency room and fewer inpatient hospitalization stays. With our easy-to-use app, autofill programs, 24/7 access to pharmacists, and consistent pharmacy processes, Express Scripts Pharmacy can ensure patients always have their medication on hand and remain adherent, improving their health outcomes and overall plan spending.