Boosting Patient Care With Real-Time Pharmacy Benefit Tools: Stacy Knox, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, DPLA

At UC Davis Health, a centralized pharmacy team leverages integrated electronic medical records (EMR) and real-time pharmacy benefit tools to streamline prior authorizations, according to Stacy Knox, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, DPLA, manager of centralized clinical pharmacy services, UC Davis Health. This approach not only saves physicians valuable time but also patients' access to needed therapies.

This transcript was lightly edited for clarity; captions were auto-generated.

Transcript

In a health system where most care is delivered through the EMR and telemedicine, what additional support do patients need to ensure quality and continuity with care?

At UC Davis Health, we have a centralized team of pharmacy staff who support the clinics and patients with prior authorization. By taking on that administrative burden, we free up physicians and clinic staff to focus on providing patient care. Our team is very adept at distilling information from health plans and giving physicians clear options to ensure patients can start the treatment they need.

This works well because we have full access to our integrated electronic health record, allowing us to provide plans with the clinical information they need to make prior authorization determinations. That said, there is still room for improvement. For example, technology could be leveraged more effectively through full use of the real-time pharmacy benefit tool within our EHR [electronic health record] at the point of prescribing. To be successful, though, it has to be reliable and accurate so physicians can reasonably trust that what they see reflects whether or not a patient will be able to access the treatment.

Another opportunity for improvement is providing patients with transparent, real-time updates about where their prior authorization is in the process, ideally through the EHR’s patient portal. Think of it like a pizza delivery model—patients could see when their request is submitted, when it’s being reviewed, and when it’s approved. Having visibility into the process would reassure patients that their request is being worked on and when they can expect to access treatment. This kind of transparency could also help reduce medication abandonment rates at the pharmacy level.

From the provider's perspective, what tangible benefits or value does this work deliver?

This work saves our physicians and clinic staff time, and it improves patients’ access to the therapies they need. That value is reflected in many of the comments we receive from physicians in our satisfaction surveys.

They often share feedback about how our support allows them to practice at the top of their license, spend more time on patient care activities, review labs, and see more patients. It also demonstrates how the service supports their overall wellness. We’ve received comments such as, “I’m able to go home at a reasonable hour.” The time savings benefit both their professional responsibilities and their personal well-being, while ultimately enhancing patient care.