The impact of a retail prescription synchronization program on medication adherence

To understand the impact of prescription synchronization, offered through the ScriptSync® program at CVS pharmacies nationwide, on adherence and reducing visits to the pharmacy.

Cohort study, conducted between March 26, 2015, and December 18, 2015. Program enrollment occurred in August 2015, with a 120-day baseline period preceding enrollment and a 120-day follow-up period.

CVS retail community pharmacies across the United States. CVS Pharmacy patients voluntarily enrolling in the prescription synchronization program at CVS retail community pharmacies across the United States who filled 3 or more eligible prescriptions before program enrollment. The study included 126,597 patients who enrolled in the program and 81,355 patients who enrolled after the study enrollment period.

Adherence was defined as the medication possession ratio. The average number of pharmacy visits per month was a second outcome measure.

Exposed patients had a 7.5 percentage point adherence improvement (from 79.6% to 87.1%), compared with a 2.8 percentage point improvement among the unexposed (from 78.1% to 80.9%) for a benefit of 4.7 percentage points (P < 0.0001). Among patients with adherence opportunities, the net impact on adherence was 10.6% (P < 0.0001). The program resulted in 0.17 fewer visits per month (P < 0.0001).

Offering prescription refill synchronization at a large national retail pharmacy chain resulted in improved adherence and fewer visits to the pharmacy in the 4 months following ScriptSync enrollment. Prescription refill synchronization programs should be considered in the care of patients with multiple comorbidities.