Press Contact:
Alissa Momberg
amomberg@gingrichgroup.com
(202) 375-2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SCOTTSDALE, AZ - May 6, 2009—Today, Center for Health Transformation (CHT) founder Newt Gingrich announced the launch of the 21st Century Intelligent Pharmacy Project at the annual meeting of the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) in Scottsdale, Arizona. The goal of the project is to accelerate the widespread adoption of best practices and innovative solutions in the field of pharmacy.

Over the next year, CHT members and other nationally recognized pharmacy leaders will help define those issues, concepts and principles that:

• Advance patient safety;
• Increase patient adherence to prescription drug therapy;
• Implement innovative disease management programs;
• Encourage innovation through research;
• Accelerate new, emerging technology;
• Develop individual responsibility and patient engagement;
• Emphasize wellness and prevention;
• Develop continuity of care;
• Examine payment reform; and,
• Improve communications among healthcare professionals.

“Pharmacists are considered the most accessible and most trusted healthcare professionals in the country, but they are severely underutilized,” says CHT project director Wayne Oliver. “The goal of our project is to define an innovative, individual-centered pharmacy model that saves lives, improves care, empowers consumers and enhances plan benefit design—all while lowering costs.”

The end product will be the publishing of a book, which highlights those best practices, innovative solutions and valuable insights for the pharmacy profession; policy makers on the state and federal level; pharmacy educators; health insurers; pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs); and, other healthcare stakeholders.

###

About the Center for Health Transformation

The Center for Health Transformation is a high-impact collaboration of private and public sector leaders committed to creating a 21st Century Intelligent Health System that saves lives and saves money for all Americans.