By Marshall Swanson

When it comes to prescribing medications, a state-wide pharmacy education project is proving the value of objective information.

When pharmaceutical consultant Sophie Robert stops by to see primary care physician Kirt Caton in Hanahan, S.C., she doesn’t bring a catered lunch or other freebies like some pharmaceutical reps.

What she does bring is something that doctors across the state seem to appreciate more and more—objective information about prescription medications.

“We’re not about selling products and we have no external influences,” said Sarah Ball, a clinical assistant professor at the S.C. College of Pharmacy who directs SCORxE (South Carolina Offering Prescribing Excellence). It’s an outreach program of the college that provides physicians with balanced information so that they can make the best prescription and practice decisions.

Robert is one of six clinical pharmacy consultants for SCORxE, and doctors welcome her visits, which are akin to half-hour-long continuing medical education seminars.

“When Sophie first approached me about this, I wondered what it was about, but eventually it became something I looked forward to,” said Caton, the family practice physician in Hanahan. “The information she provides benefits my patients.

“She tells me what options I have with respect to available medications and the data behind those medications that support what medical regimen will work best for a sick patient,” he said. “This saves time and provides me with a new clinical array of up-to-date, evidence-based medicine and treatment options.”

The program launched in September 2006 with a $1.9 million, two-year contract to the S.C. College of Pharmacy to improve the quality of care for Medicaid beneficiaries in Anderson, Greenville, Spartanburg, Berkeley, Dorchester, and Charleston counties. The counties serve one-third of the state’s population and its Medicaid recipients and were well suited for a comparative analysis of the program’s effectiveness.

Orangeburg, Georgetown, and Horry counties were recently added to SCORxE, and Midlands-area counties are starting to come on board.

The expectation is that the program will assist more physicians in improving their prescribing procedures and carry over to the rest of the state’s medical community. “It could help improve clinical care and control costs for active state employees and retirees, as well as people who have their own private health insurance policies,” Assey said. “It has value for the entire population.”

Though it’s too early to quantify SCORxE’s results in the Palmetto State, Ball said, preliminary indications are very positive, and reports from other states are encouraging. In Pennsylvania, a similar program has documented that for every dollar spent two dollars have been saved in health care costs.

“SCORxE is not only an effective way to reinforce current good practices and positively influence future prescribing patterns, it’s also a way to improve the cost-effectiveness of care,” Ball said. That explains why the concept is beginning to take root nationwide after successes in Australia, Canada, and England.

Sophie Robert sees academic detailing as a wave of the future and a great opportunity for pharmacists because it is a good way to stay current, share information, and network. She’s even fielded a request from a group of primary care physicians who want Carolina’s PharmD students to rotate through their practice.

“The initial response we’ve gotten from many physicians when we introduce ourselves and the service is that they find it very refreshing,” Robert said. “They know they can expect to have balanced information and don’t have to look for hidden messages or angles.

“Providing the best available research evidence that can guide physicians in using the most cost-effective treatments translates into better health outcomes and better utilization of resources.”