Meet Our Expert: Sabrina Pugliese Addresses the Gaps in Knowledge for Retail Pharmacy

By: McKesson Specialty Health Editorial Team

Read time: 4 minutes

Q: What is your healthcare background? What is your current role at McKesson?

A: I’ve been with McKesson for 11 years, spending the first seven years selling pharmaceutical distribution to independent pharmacy owners. This customer base ranged from small apothecaries to independent chains to specialty focused pharmacies. I also worked as an Enterprise Account Manager where I managed a health system with a large acute, retail, and clinician footprint.

As the Managed Care Director for Health Systems, I collaborate with the field sales team, internal/external partners, and health system pharmacy partners to help them better understand the complexities of managed care and the tailored McKesson retail solutions available to drive value.

Q: How can a retail pharmacy help facilitate the continuum of care for patients? How does it benefit the health system?

A: With health system retail, outpatient pharmacies have the opportunity to interact with more patients at discharge and between visits, including follow-up and long-term monitoring of their care, medication adherence, and progress. These interactions are especially critical in high-risk transplant, cancer, HIV, cardiac, or diabetic patients — and they matter to hospitals’ documentation efforts, providing continuity of care and helping reduce readmissions. Despite their small physical footprint, health system retail pharmacies can be pockets of opportunity, whether in hospitals or ambulatory care centers, near treatment clinics, or around the communities they serve. They have the potential to capture a share of the many thousands of prescriptions issued to patients and employees annually that are typically filled elsewhere.

Q: What McKesson tools and solutions are available to help health system customers elevate and optimize their retail pharmacy?

McKesson’s Payer Solutions for Health Systems is strategically positioned to support health systems through access and expertise, optimizing retail and outpatient pharmacy operations through financial success, clinical performance, improving continuity of care, recognizing better cash flow, and resource management. Our supportive solutions and services include:

• Health Mart Atlas
  • A large PSAO providing third-party contracting expertise and access, focused on improving payer performance, optimizing reimbursement, and diminishing the complexity of the managed care landscape.
   
• Atlas Specialty
  • Offers access to the right specialty contracting relationships to strategically drive lowered drug cost and lowered total cost of care, resulting in high patient satisfaction and retention, and improved whole population health along the continuum of care.
   
• Health Mart Franchise
  • The opportunity to join a network of over 4,500 pharmacies that provides access to retail solutions and support, enabling customers to navigate industry change, increase their pharmacy’s performance, and build a more profitable business. Please note, this is not available in all areas
   
• ProviderPay
  • Differentiated claims reconciliation program
    • Receives data feed from switch company and third-party insurances
    • Matches successfully adjudicated claims to the correct remittance statement and reimbursement dollars
    • Delivers reimbursement dollars to the pharmacy’s bank account and provides data and insights into third-party cash flow
     
• RxOptimization Advisory
  • Expert consultants perform a comprehensive assessment of ambulatory pharmacy potential, provide actionable recommendations, and facilitate implementation.
   
• RxOwnership
  • The RxOwnership® team of expert advisors has helped over 7,000+ pharmacy owners meet their goals since 2008. No matter where you on in your journey, we provide practical and confidential support. Just a few of our services include:
    • Financial reviews to help your pharmacy remain sustainable and profitable
    • Access to resources to understand pharmacy locations, financing, and loans
    • Getting a head of retirement plans and creating catered succession plans to maximize the value of your business
     
   

About Sabrina Pugliese

Sabrina Pugliese, Manager Care Director for Health Systems, discusses her background in the healthcare industry and provides insights on retail pharmacy and the challenges facing health systems. Read her latest Q&A to learn more about McKesson’s suite of products and solutions designed to optimize retail pharmacy for health systems, including options for market entry, tailored PSAO solutions, and access to Health Mart Atlas.

Learn how partnering with McKesson can help your health system achieve more.

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