Eckerd reaches into the home with online network alliance - to blend its Patient Care program with Health Hero Network - Brief Article
Categories: Home Health CareCLEAR WATER, Fla. - Eckerd Corp. is building a bridge that will link its pharmacists directly with chronically ill patients at home via the Internet.
The new service, which will be marketed to employers, HMOs and other managed care organizations, aims to boost patient compliance with doctor-prescribed drug regimens, detect adverse drug reactions among homebound patients, and monitor therapeutic effectiveness.
Eckerd is partnering with Health Hero Network, a privately held online health service provider, to deliver the new service to patients where they live. Under terms of the alliance, Eckerd’s ongoing Patient Care Program will be extended into the homes of participating users through Internet communications and an in-home communication appliance developed by Health Hero.
“We feel it’s important to help patients manage their complex drug regimens,” said George Kitchens, director of clinical services for the 2,900-store chain. “The Eckerd Patient Care Program will employ Health Hero’s platform so that our pharmacists can monitor their patients’ ongoing drug therapy and ensure that they comply with their … regimens, thus keeping them our of the hospital.
“We believe this is the future not just for Eckerd, but for the entire pharmacy industry,” he added.
Currently, Eckerd’s Patient Care program is an in-store service that boosts drug therapy management by a team of clinical pharmacists who are linked to stores via phone and computer. The new, online linkup will leverage that service, said Kitchens, through Health Hero’s existing Web site and patient communications appliance, called Health Buddy. The appliance, given to patients as part of the new service, connects to phone lines and allows pharmacists, acting as patient-care managers, to download health-related questions, educational information and therapeutic reminders to those patients through the Internet.
“Now, via the Internet, Eckerd pharmacist care managers can remotely interact with their patients,” noted an Eckerd spokesperson.
“This relationship with Eckerd marks the first time that our service is being used by the pharmacist and underscores our expansion into new customer channels that connect patients and their caregivers,” added Health Hero founder and chief executive Steve Brown.