Reduction of healthcare costs through a transitions-of-care program.

Purpose: Results of an evaluation of the impact of a pharmacy-based transitional care program on healthcare costs in a population of high-risk patients are reported.

Methods: A nonrandomized, observational cohort study was conducted to compare cost outcomes in a group of patients discharged from a single hospital who were referred to an ambulatory care pharmacy-based transitions-of-care (TOC) program and a control group of patients discharged from neighboring hospitals who received usual care; all patients were members of the same managed Medicaid plan. The intervention and control groups were matched by number of hospitalizations during the 180 days preceding the index admission and by index admission length of stay.

Budget Impact Analysis of a Pharmacist-Provided Transition of Care Program.

Background: Postdischarge medication management services have been shown to reduce the incidence of medication-related problems during the transition from inpatient to outpatient care. A pharmacist-run transition of care (TOC) program has been developed to reduce the unplanned readmissions of a high-risk managed Medicaid population after hospitalization.

Objective: To estimate the budget impact of adding an outpatient pharmacy-based TOC program to a medical benefit from the payer perspective.

Impact of a pharmacy-based transitional care program on hospital readmissions.

Objectives: Avoidable readmissions of patients discharged from hospitals are a major concern. This study evaluates the impact of pharmacist-provided postdischarge services on hospital readmissions for members of a US managed Medicaid health plan.

Study Design: Prospective cohort study.