PROJECT DESTINY FINDINGS REVEALED

Community pharmacy can ensure itshealth care services beyond dispensingmedication are embraced broadly, if itacts decisively and cooperatively withhealth care industry stakeholders, accordingto initial results of the ProjectDestiny initiative.

Project Destiny is a collaborative effortby the American Pharmacists Association,the National Association of ChainDrug Stores, and the National CommunityPharmacists Association. The 3pharmacy groups are now developing astrategic plan to advance the conceptsidentified in the first phase. ProjectDestiny aims to identify ways thatpatients and the health care system canbenefit from community pharmacy'smedication expertise, in a way that iseconomically viable for all parties.

To meet the objective, the pharmacygroups hired BearingPoint to conductextensive research and interviews withpatient and provider groups, and privateand public payers. The executivesummary of the first-phase findingsinclude:

• A significant unmet patient need tomanage medication therapy existsin the market, as exemplified byincreases in chronic conditions andavoidable health care cost
• Pharmacists are well positioned toaddress unmet needs
• The medication management marketis being defined as communitypharmacy, nurses, physicians, payers,and pharmacy benefit managersall are engaging to some degree

An important concept from the firstphase of the project is that of a "primarycare pharmacist," who wouldwork collaboratively with the healthcare delivery and financing systemsand concentrate on managing medications,positively impacting health outcomes,and reducing overall health caresystem costs, and empowering patientsto actively manage their health.