Implementation and impact assessment of integrated electronic prior authorization in an academic health system.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the system-wide implementation of integrated electronic prior authorization (ePA) and its impact within a centralized prior authorization (PA) department in an academic health system. SETTING: Prescription drugs have been among the fastest growing areas of health care and continue to advance; therefore, costs associated with medications are continually rising. Pharmacy benefit managers implement tools such as PAs in an effort to manage costs. PAs are often viewed as inconvenient and irritating by both patients and clinical staff. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: The pharmacy ambulatory clinical care center (PAC3), a centralized PA department, provides PA services to some clinics within the system. Since 2014, the system has worked to optimize the manual (by telephone and fax) PA process. However, it is still a time-consuming, multistep process. PRACTICE INNOVATION: A resolution to the PA problems that health systems face is ePA, which involves processing PAs electronically through an online portal or integrated within an electronic health record. The system began the implementation process with the selection of an ePA vendor, followed by implementation within the electronic health record. Once the software was ready, the system took a phased rollout approach and implemented ePA in a few specialty and primary care clinics at a time. EVALUATION: An average of 24% of PAs processed by PAC3 were completed by ePA. The system saw a 25% increase in the number of PAs processed per month by 1 PA coordinator full-time equivalent. In addition, a 62% decrease in the PA turnaround time allowed patients to receive medications faster. RESULTS: Not applicable. CONCLUSION: ePA offers several benefits to the system including decreased turnaround time. This allows patients to receive medications and start therapy earlier. The ePA process also increased efficiency, allowing PAC3 to centrally manage PAs for additional clinics, thereby decreasing the workload in the clinic.

Implementation of a centralized mail-order pharmacy service.

PURPOSE: The development and implementation of centralized mail-order pharmacy services in an academic healthcare system are described. SUMMARY: The use of mail-order pharmacy services continues to increase, as mail-order services offer patient benefits such as reduced copayments and improved clinical outcomes. Prior to undertaking an initiative to improve its mail-order pharmacy services, the University of Utah Health system's pharmacy department offered decentralized mail-order pharmacy services at all of its retail pharmacies, but there was no standardized process for processing mail-order prescriptions or providing phone support to mail-order patients. Centralized mail-order pharmacy services were developed and implemented by creating (1) a standard process for mail-order pharmacy services, (2) a centralized mail-order prescription filling center, and (3) a call center to support mail-order pharmacy services. Implementation of centralized mail-order pharmacy services resulted in an almost 50% reduction in time spent by pharmacy team members on mail-order prescription filling and packaging tasks. Use of a central call center resulted in a decreased call abandonment rate and contributed to a decreased pharmacy workload resulting from an overall reduction in call volume due to an increased rate of first-call issue resolution. CONCLUSION: Establishment of a centralized mail-order pharmacy service along with operational and infrastructure improvements resulted in improved quality and regulatory compliance and enhanced labor efficiency and patient communication.