BCBS California collaborates with Gemini Health to transform pharmacy care

Blue Shield of California announced the nonprofit health plan’s innovative collaboration with Gemini Health has resulted in more than $20 million in drug cost savings in the initiative’s first two years. Collaboration with Gemini Health expands to include pharmacists to help provide better quality, more affordable care for members.

1. An effective collaboration: The collaboration between the nonprofit health plan and the San Francisco Bay Area technology company provides patient-specific benefit, formulary, and cost information on prescription drugs to prescribers at multiple points of care, including patient-doctor visits. The goal is to empower prescribers with real-time information about medications and any lower-cost options so that they can discuss with their patients and collaborate to reduce drug costs.
2. Innovations for personalized health: “Blue Shield of California seeks innovations that provide personalized health care options and to improve affordability for our members, and our collaboration with Gemini Health does exactly that through drug cost transparency for providers when they are evaluating and prescribing medications—when it matters most,” said Alison Lum, vice president of pharmacy at Blue Shield of California, in a statement.
3. Aiming towards transformed health outcomes: The program is part of Blue Shield of California’s broader Health Reimagined initiative, which aims to transform healthcare. “We are also expanding this initiative to include pharmacists and other health care providers in our network as we reimagine how health care is delivered for all Californians,” Lum said.
4. The impact upon the pharmacists: “It has been gratifying to hear from physicians and pharmacists alike how these services simplify and empower their work by identifying patient-specific, cost-savings opportunities,” said Ed Fotsch, M.D., CEO of Gemini Health, in a statement.
5. Pharmaceutical goals: Blue Shield of California said in the announcement that it is now making the platform available to pharmacists with the goal of encouraging greater collaboration with physicians. Armed with these data, pharmacists can also address medication management with patients.