Services will tackle barriers to medication adherence by embedding highly-trained pharmacists and pharmacy liaisons into care teams

CANTON, OHIO, October 26 – To further its mission of leading its community to improved health, Aultman today announced the launch of chronic disease management (CDM) and specialty pharmacy services. The services, which will be offered in partnership with Trellis Rx, will enhance the medication therapy experience and clinical outcomes for patients living with chronic diseases.

Patients in Stark County and across surrounding communities rely on complex, expensive medications to treat conditions such as cancer, hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes. These medications are often challenging for patients to access and manage due to high out-of-pocket expenses, significant side effects, and other barriers. As a result, patients often struggle to adhere to their treatment regimens without the right level of clinical, financial, and emotional support.

Aultman will address these obstacles head-on by adding clinical pharmacists to its care teams to help patients who require complex, expensive therapies. In addition to evaluating if medications are appropriate for patients, these specialized experts will provide ongoing counseling and education to promote adherence. They will also proactively monitor therapy effectiveness and collaborate with providers to help ensure patients achieve their best health outcomes.

Patients will also have access to highly-trained pharmacy liaisons to help them navigate the often-difficult process of affording and obtaining their medications. Like the clinical pharmacists, pharmacy liaisons will work onsite at Aultman to create a coordinated, seamless experience for patients and providers.

“Ensuring every member of our community has access to the highest quality care and personalized support needed to improve their health is our goal at Aultman,” said Chris Parrish, senior vice president, Aultman Health Foundation. “By embedding pharmacists and pharmacy liaisons directly into our care teams, we will be able to tackle the medication-related barriers that too often keep patients from enjoying their highest quality of life.”

Aultman will initially offer these services at its Aultman Carrollton Family Medicine and Aultman Hematology & Oncology Centers for patients living with diabetes and cancer and plans to expand services over the next year to support additional patients.

To learn more about Aultman’s chronic disease management and specialty pharmacy services, call 330-597-9218.

About Aultman Health Foundation: The Aultman Health Foundation is a not-for-profit health care organization serving Stark and surrounding counties. The integrated health care system includes Aultman Hospital, Aultman Orrville Hospital, Aultman Alliance Community Hospital, the locally managed health insurance provider AultCare, The Aultman Foundation and Aultman College. With 1,032 beds, over 1,000 providers and a team of more than 7,000 employees, Aultman is Stark County’s largest provider of health care services. For more information, visit www.aultman.org.

About Trellis Rx: Trellis Rx is the complete specialty pharmacy services solution for health systems looking to enhance the medication therapy experience and drive market-leading clinical outcomes for their patients with chronic and complex conditions. Working side-by-side with health systems, Trellis Rx delivers everything required to rapidly build and expand fully-integrated specialty pharmacy services through a performance-based partnership model designed to ensure results.