Medication Synchronization

Medication Synchronization | Hyde Drug Store

Approximately 69 million Americans take three or more prescriptions per month, requiring multiple trips to the pharmacy. Many consumers say they miss doses of their medications because they forget to refill their prescription before they run out.

Missed or skipped doses of medication cause 125,000 deaths every year and account for 10 to 25 percent of hospital and nursing home admissions.

Cost, forgetfulness, and complicated medication regimens drive poor patient medication adherence.

Medication synchronization, incorporating a patient’s community pharmacist, can improve patient adherence and persistence by bundling medications, which helps decrease the frequency of pharmacy visits and reduce the negative effects of forgetfulness and complicated regimens. It also helps to decrease total healthcare costs.

Medication Synchronization can:

• Eliminate the need to call in multiple prescription refills

• Allow you the convenience of fewer trips to the pharmacy

• Provide an opportunity to meet with your pharmacist on a monthly basis to discuss your medications

How it works:

• Once enrolled, pharmacy staff will review your ongoing monthly medications and develop a plan to synchronize them so they can be picked up on a single day each month when it is convenient for you

• Pharmacy staff may call you to confirm your pick up date about a week prior and identify any necessary changes that should take place before your prescriptions are filled

• After reviewing any changes to your medications, the pharmacy staff will prepare each prescription and create one package for easy pick up on your scheduled date.

• On your scheduled day, you pick up all of your prescriptions at the pharmacy. At that time, you can ask the pharmacist any questions that you may have about your medications.

• The process repeats itself each month so you that you can pick up all your medications at once, and the pharmacist can identify potential issues to help you take your medications as prescribed.

1. Who is best suited for medication synchronization? Medication synchronization is most helpful for patients taking multiple, ongoing monthly medications, the elderly, and patients new to chronic drug therapy.

2. Why should I care about synchronizing my medications? One-third of consumers have missed a dose of their medication because they didn’t refill their prescription before it ran out. If you are not taking your medication as prescribed or missing or skipping doses, it can have serious side effects on your health including death. Through med sync, the pharmacist proactively refills your prescription so that you don’t have to remember to call the pharmacy and they work closely with you to make sure that your medications are working for you and being taken properly.

3. Will there be an additional cost or monthly fees? Generally, there is no additional cost to you. The goal of med sync is for the pharmacist to synchronize your medications in the most convenient and cost efficient manner for you. Often times, the pharmacist will dispense a shorter or longer supply of medication for your first med sync pick up so that you can maintain your insurance coverage. It is best to ask your pharmacist about their strategy for synchronizing your medication.

4. Will appointments be on a specific day? And at a specific time? Pharmacists will work with you to determine a day that is convenient each month. You do need to pick up your prescriptions on that particular day in order for the program to be successful. Typically, your pick up will not be at a specific time unless you chose and depending on the availability of your pharmacist.

5. Should I let my physician know that I am participating in a med sync program? Yes, med sync has a positive influence on the relationship between you, your pharmacist, and your physician. Through med sync, you can all work together to improve your health. If your pharmacist identifies any issues during their monthly review of your medications, they can work with your physician on a solution.

6. Will all of my medications be included if I chose to participate in a med sync program? Not necessarily. There are some medications that are not appropriate for a med sync program, such as antibiotics, ointments, eye drops, and “as-needed” medications for pain.

Contact Us

If you have questions about Medicine Synchronization, contact us at 724.652.1451 or submit your contact information to us for additional details on the Questions or Comments form here and we will be in touch.