The Crucial Role of the Clinical Pharmacist in Improving Healthcare Outcomes with Jessica Lea

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About this Episode

More and more Americans are faced with the twain challenge of rising healthcare costs and the increasing burden of chronic diseases. With about 6 in 10 adults in the United States suffering from a chronic illness, including diabetes and heart disease, there is a clear need to rethink approaches to tackling this burden and optimizing healthcare outcomes. Jessica Lea, Pharm.D., EMBA, BCPP, Founder and CEO of Tria Health, in this interview speaks about integrating the pharmacist into healthcare delivery and leveraging pharmacists’ expertise in key clinical care decisions to optimize patient care outcomes.

Tria Health delivers pharmacist-led chronic disease management, leveraging collaborations among the three players in healthcare delivery: the pharmacist, patient, and healthcare provider, to optimize care outcomes and reduce overall healthcare costs. Jessica emphasizes the need to incorporate the expertise of pharmacists in optimizing patient prescriptions and care plans to improve outcomes and eliminate needless prescriptions and avoidable complications.

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Key Takeaways from this Episode

“It’s not always about going for drugs that cost less, but the ones that improve outcomes most effectively

“As healthcare costs rise, pharmacists are well able to stand in the gap to help patients navigate their benefits to improve their disease outcomes”

Show Breakdown

[1:25].The crucial role of the pharmacist in improving patient care outcomes and optimizing healthcare costs

[4:44]. The different approach Tria Health takes in chronic disease management

[7:00]. Understanding and tackling polypharmacy

[8:56]. Integrating pharmacists into healthcare management

[10.11]. Healthcare costs vs. clinical outcomes

[12:21]. How employers can leverage innovative pharmacist approach to healthcare management

[14:09]. Medication-induced adverse reactions

[16:28]. Leveraging pharmacist expertise in optimizing healthcare costs

About

Jessica Lea, Pharm.D., EMBA, BCPP

With over 20 years of extensive experience in pharmaceutical care, Dr. Jessica Lea was named CEO of Tria Health in 2010. Prior to her current position, Dr. Lea worked as a Clinical Pharmacist at regional PBM where she played an instrumental role developing clinical programming. Her background in academia and numerous pharmacy achievements continue to fuel her passion of pharmacists providing patient-centered care that results in optimal health outcomes, which was the catalyst for starting Tria Health. As a benefit for self-insured employers, Tria Health pharmacists improve the health of members with chronic condition while reducing health care costs for employers. Lea holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from University of Missouri-Kansas City and maintains board certification in psychiatric pharmacy. Lea graduated with her EMBA in May of 2014 from the Rockhurst University Executive MBA Program. As an innovator in healthcare, Lea has received several local recognitions including Ingram’s “40 Under 40”; the Kansas City Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business; Next Generation Leaders and Heroes in Healthcare. Lea also has been recognized nationally by being named to the PharmaVOICE100 recognizing inspiring leaders in the life science industries.

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