New Findings on Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy Described by Investigators at University of Minnesota (Potential Benefits of Incorporating Social Determinants of Health Screening On Comprehensive Medication Management Effectiveness): Drugs and Therapies – Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy

2025 MAR 31 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at NewsRx Hematology Daily -- Investigators publish new report on Drugs and Therapies - Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy. According to news reporting from Minneapolis, Minnesota, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “Increasingly, pharmacists are asked to incorporate social determinants of health (SDoH) identification and referral into clinical practice. However, to date, no studies have evaluated clinical changes from embedding SDoH screening into the delivery of comprehensive medication management (CMM) in patients with chronic conditions.”

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from the University of Minnesota, “To examine the clinical effectiveness of implementing a clinical pharmacist-led SDoH screening and referral process as part of CMM encounters across a network of 7 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). We used a retrospective cohort design to evaluate the effectiveness of integrating SDoH screening into CMM across a network of 7 FQHCs. A difference-in-difference approach was used to compare the effectiveness of CMM between patients with and without SDoH needs on the probability of achieving clinical control for blood pressure (<140 systolic/90 diastolic mm Hg) and diabetes (<9% hemoglobin A1c). Among 807 patients receiving CMM in 2023, 595 (74%) were screened for SDoH. 55.1% of patients screened had 1 or more SDoH, most commonly facing barriers related to insurance (22.0%), language (11.3%), transportation (9.1%), health behaviors (7.1%), income/employment (5.9%), and food insecurity (5.6%). Comparing patients with SDoH needs with those without, the proportion of patients controlled at baseline was 66.3% vs 72.3% for hypertension and 39.0% vs 75.4% for diabetes, respectively. Following a CMM encounter, the proportion of patients who achieved blood pressure control increased 7.6% more (P = 0.225) among patients with SDoH needs than in those without SDoH, whereas diabetes control rates increased 13.3% more (P = 0.143). Although not statistically significant, the results of this pilot evaluation suggest the potential for meaningful clinical improvements from screening and referral of SDoH needs as a part of CMM encounters.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “These results should be corroborated using a larger, more robust study design.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Potential Benefits of Incorporating Social Determinants of Health Screening On Comprehensive Medication Management Effectiveness. Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy, 2024;30(11):1217-1224. Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy can be contacted at: Acad Managed Care Pharmacy, 100 N Pitt St, 400, Alexandria, VA 22314-3134, USA.

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Joel F. Farley, University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)