By Jim Gartner, Vice President of Pharmacy

CareSource recently announced the start of our new Medication Therapy Management program. This program is geared towards helping our members understand their medications better and to help make sure the medications they are taking can be taken together and safely. This program will be available from our local pharmacists who are there to help.  In many cases a pharmacist will reach out to our members and ask if they are interested in learning more about their medications. They are asking because they want to help. Did you know pharmacists are one of the most trusted professions? 

I have been a pharmacist almost 30 years and have truly enjoyed the profession. I have had the opportunity to work in the retail setting many years in Ohio and equal amount of years in the managed care setting, mainly in Minnesota. During my years in retail, I also had the opportunity to work in the nursing home setting where I acted as a medication reviewer for the patients in the nursing home.  It became clear to me that many people were in the nursing home mainly to monitor their medications because they did not have the support at home.

At the same time, I was completing my MBA and had to write a paper in one of my health care administration classes. In 1996, I wrote a paper entitled “Pharmaceutical Care Management Offered to Passport Members Can Keep People at Home.“ This paper talked about the importance of a pharmacist reviewing people’s medications and if that happened, it could keep people in their own homes. It became clear to me that the pharmacist truly needed to do the same thing in the retail setting. I began to dream that one day this would come to fruition.

About a year and half ago, I was approached about a job at CareSource to lead the pharmacy efforts. It required a major change for our family and a move back to Ohio. Somehow I knew it was the right thing to do, little did I know that CareSource was a place that I could bring my dream to life.  

As an organization that lives the mission of “making a difference in the lives of the underserved by improving their health care,” the fact of improving our member’s medication regimens resonated. Working with our partner in this initiative, Outcomes®, our intention is that our members have safer, more efficient treatments with medication and that we reduce the amount of emergency room visits, physician office visits and adverse reactions because of improper medications. This is a win-win for all – CareSource, our members and the pharmacist community who will help make a difference. 

And on a personal note, if you see the smile on my face, it’s because it brings me great joy to know that I was able to help drive this initiative and realize one of my dreams that I have had for quite a long time.

For more information about Medication Therapy Management email questions@caresource.com.