During October during American Pharmacists Month, Optime Care is highlighting the role that pharmacists play in our health, communities and lives—especially now when healthcare has become more important than ever.
We want to celebrate their bravery in standing by patients throughout the pandemic and beyond.
This year we are sharing insights from our very own Julie Bowyer and Luann Quach, two outstanding pharmacists who graduated together from the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis (formerly St. Louis College of Pharmacy). and worked in retail pharmacy before joining Optime Care. They discuss how a patient-first approach prioritizes the needs of every patient to ensure they can achieve the best possible health outcome.
“It’s our passion to help people and to really meet them where they are in their journey,” says Bowyer. “We support them so that they can move forward and have the best patient experience. That’s what drives us. Optime Care’s patient-first approach is so compelling for rare disease patients because they face a number of complications in terms of dealing with insurance coverage, misdiagnosis and lack of streamlined information.”
Value of Patient-First Care
In today’s complex healthcare environment, it’s increasingly difficult for specialty patients to get the care they need. They face a number of hurdles to find the right medication. Our patient-first model helps to untangle these challenges and provides much-needed, ongoing support. It also gives physicians and specialists the opportunity to focus less on non-medical issues and more on the patient and efficiently finding the most optimal therapy.
In fact, Julie and Luann offer disease-specific expertise to specialists, which they then share with other healthcare professionals and patients in a way that addresses that patient’s particular needs.
“At Optime Care, we are able to take care one step further by removing barriers to safe and effective therapy and providing a clear care plan—in a way that I’ve not seen done anywhere else,” says Quach. “Our support makes such a huge difference. Because these patients have rare diseases, they may feel lost or isolated. Even specialists appreciate the additional insight we share that can enhance treatment. We provide a level of understanding and knowledge that helps them transcend clinical and communication hurdles.”
Patient Education
Education serves as the cornerstone of a patient-first approach, both for providers and patients. The more knowledge a patient has about their disease state, the more optimized their treatment and the greater their outcomes and quality of life.
“We put our hearts into making an impact on patients within the retail setting, but without the patient-first approach it’s challenging to effectively find that sustaining energy day in and day out,” Quach states. “The support and resources provided by Optime Care makes this a unique and uplifting experience for pharmacists and their patients. Everyone at Optime Care is on the same page in terms of putting the patient first.”
Both pharmacists agree that Optime Care creates a family environment of caring that extends to patients and makes a significant and positive impact in rare disease communities.
“The more people we can reach, the more lives will be changed for the better,” Bowyer adds. “Patient-first is a model for effective change and progress towards what patient care should really look like.”
As two people who give rare disease patients a one-in-a-million chance to get the best possible care every day, Julie and Luann represent the very best that Optime Care offers.
This October, join us in acknowledging the accomplishments of pharmacists, share stories and spread the word about the valuable services pharmacists offer.
To learn more about how our patient-first approach minimizes the daily impact of living with orphan and rare disorders and tailors a proactive service experience for each patient, visit here.
