The case for pharmacy-based patient health management for chronic conditions

• In the United States, the Center for Disease Control estimates that seven out of every ten deaths and seventy-five percent of all health care spending is attributable to chronic diseases most of which can be prevented or effectively managed.¹

• In the U.K. it is estimated that 60 percent of hospital bed days are devoted to chronic disease and related complications.² The U.K has developed a number of strategies to meet the challenges of the rising prevalence of chronic disease including an emphasis on self-management and a strong effort to improve medicines use.³

• In the U.S. 88 percent of Medicare spending is consumed by patients with three or more chronic conditions.⁴

• The U.K Department of Health estimates that 50 percent of patients fail to take their medicines properly⁵ and has initiated a number of self-care projects such as the Expert Patients Programme and the Medicines Management Programme.

• According to a U.K Department of Health discussion document, “an intrinsic chronic disease management equation is that increased investment in pharmaceutical care offsets hospitalization and medical procedure costs.” ⁶

• A U.S. study of a community-based disease management service showed substantial reductions in healthcare costs in patients with hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes and asthma.⁷