New UpToDate solutions help pharmacies become patient-centric, meet consumer needs, boost efficiency, and promote sustainability
As the role of pharmacies in healthcare continues to evolve, Wolters Kluwer Health announces the launch of UpToDate® Digital Medication Education and UpToDate Consumer Education, two new pharmacy solutions from UpToDate® Digital Architect. These digital health content offerings provide pharmacy consumers with accessible medication and health information, supporting adherence and helping boost pharmacies’ shift to include paperless, digital experiences. The new solutions will be demonstrated at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Total Store Expo in Boston, August 17-19, 2024, in booth #1339.
Retail pharmacies are doubling down on patient experience and playing a much more central role in educating patients on their medications and overall health. 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.
Christopher Sullivan, Vice President for Clinical Effectiveness Commercial Segment at Wolters Kluwer Health.
Going digital helps pharmacies drive adherence
Medication leaflets, the multiple page printouts provided with prescriptions, often overwhelm patients and are frequently discarded or left unread. The soon-to-be-published Pharmacy Next survey, conducted by Wolters Kluwer Health, found that two in five Americans do not read the medication printouts that come with their prescriptions, potentially leading to health safety issues.
UpToDate Digital Medication Education helps pharmacies address this issue by enabling them to provide medication education digitally, where appropriate. Often sent as either a link provided via text or email, or a QR code printed on a prescription bottle, this represents a change that could allow retail pharmacies to provide consumers with access to critical medication information when and how they wish. In fact, almost 75% of Americans are open to using QR codes links instead of lengthy printouts to access information, according to the Pharmacy Next survey.
The digital platform offers continually updated drug information on over 3,900 adult and pediatric medication leaflets, covering more than 130,000 national drug codes, including FDA medication guides (when available), 80,000 NDCs with images, and CDC vaccine information statements. In addition to added convenience for consumers, the solution can help increase operational efficiency, allowing pharmacists to spend more time with patients while reducing printing costs and supporting paperless initiatives.
The solutions announced today address how the roles of the pharmacy and pharmacist are changing. Almost 60% of Americans are likely to first seek non-emergency healthcare at a local pharmacy. With more consumers relying on pharmacies than ever, retail pharmacies are continually seeking ways to empower patients by making complex medical information more digestible.
Consumer education strengthens the patient/pharmacist relationship
UpToDate Consumer Education can enable retail pharmacies to build deeper engagement and adherence with reliable, evidence-based condition content from UpToDate. This includes over 650 interactive videos and more than 8,500 consumer-friendly articles intended to help patients better understand their disease and treatment. With two-thirds of patients still having follow-up questions after healthcare visits, the platform is expertly curated to help retail pharmacies provide answers when and where patients need them.
The soon-to-be- published Pharmacy Next survey found that over four in five Americans (80%) would be open to using easy to understand videos to learn more about their medications and conditions. Interactive resources help patients build health literacy, so they can ask more informed questions and make better decisions to proactively manage their healthcare. The flexible format caters to various learning styles, with information intended to be easily comprehensible and unique to the patient.
Improving pharmacies’ bottom line and sustainability efforts
With UpToDate Digital Architect, pharmacies transitioning from print to digital not only help consumer satisfaction but, by reducing printed materials, pharmacies can decrease paper consumption by contributing to both cost savings and broader sustainability initiatives.
