Retail giant Walmart will use drug-therapy management technology developed by Tucson-based SinfoníaRx to improve patient health, the local company said Wednesday.
SinfoníaRx’s technology — originally developed by researchers and faculty at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy — is used by pharmacists at the UA and Ohio State University to monitor prescription use for about 300 health plans representing more than 6 million patients nationally.
SinfoníaRx was created in November 2013, when Sinfonía HealthCare acquired the UA medication management system from the university.
Walmart Pharmacy will use SinfoníaRx’s proprietary software to monitor prescription drugs and identify potential problems within a patient’s regimen, the company said. Pharmacists will work with patients and their doctors to improve medication usage, cutting health-care costs linked to failure to take prescribed drugs, gaps in care, and the regular use of multiple drugs.
“We are incredibly excited to launch this new program with Walmart,” said Kevin P. Boesen, founder and CEO of SinfoníaRx. “Managing complex, chronic illnesses is a real challenge. We are honored to work with Walmart to help patients live better lives.”
According to a 2013 study by the IMS institute cited by SinfoníaRx, medication misuse accounts for more than $200 billion in unnecessary health-care expenses annually.
Sinfonía HealthCare was launched in January 2013 by Fletcher McCusker and Michael Deitch, co-founders and former top executives of Providence Service Corp.
Besides drug-management services, Sinfonia through various subsidiaries provides services including behavioral health care, hospice care, home health care and equipment, companion care, primary care and wellness services.
