At Asembia 2025, experts from AcariaHealth detailed how strategic management of free drug programs can optimize outcomes for manufacturers and patients alike, while adapting to evolving regulatory and payer environments. Presenters Sue Farida, RPh, director of product performance; Allison Watson, PharmD, CSP, clinical account manager; and Scott MacNider, vice president of sales and account management, shared operational insights, key performance metrics, and lessons learned amid recent policy changes.

Building a Best-in-Class Free Drug Pharmacy

AcariaHealth and its Homescripts Pharmacy division, under Centene Corporation, manage a broad portfolio of free drug programs across multiple therapeutic areas. Their approach emphasizes operational excellence supported by targeted key performance indicators (KPIs), including:

• Turnaround Time (Cycle Time): Measuring efficiency from approval receipt to shipment, with a focus on continuously improving timeframes.

• Client Satisfaction: Strategies centered on flexibility, responsiveness, and relationship management to foster retention and program success.

• Shipping Accuracy: Achieving a 99.99% accuracy rate in 2024 through rigorous quality assurance practices.

• Adherence: Enhancing patient adherence through customizable, proactive engagement programs.

Key Operational Strategies

To drive outcomes, AcariaHealth implements several best practices:

• Flexible Dispensing Models: Offering both patient-specific and distribution models, and the ability to construct hybrid solutions tailored to clients’ needs.

• Hub Integration via Real-Time Data Connection: Streamlining data exchange to ensure seamless communication, rapid enrollment, and timely patient interventions.

• Dedicated Teams: Creating specialized teams for individual programs to build subject matter expertise, foster ownership, and enhance client and patient trust.

Optimizing Patient Adherence

Allison Watson described a structured, customizable adherence program that includes baseline assessments, early therapy evaluations, routine check-ins, and lapse recovery outreach. Patients are risk-ranked to allocate resources effectively, and a digital engagement platform supplements outreach by offering counseling content in a social media–style feed that patients can access at their convenience.

"What we like about our digital program is that it provides this social media feed-like experience," Watson noted. “It’s created to optimize patient engagement and provide patient counseling from the start of therapy throughout the entirety of their therapy.”

Insights from these adherence efforts inform program modifications and contribute to broader clinical research collaborations, including studying the impact of adherence programs on health care costs, which can demonstrate the value of promoting adherence.

“It provides real-world data with insights on medication performance in diverse populations and settings outside of controlled clinical trials,” said Watson. “By monitoring our adherence programs long-term, it gives us access to medication use patterns and its effect on chronic disease management.”

Navigating Policy Shifts: Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act

Farida also addressed how the 2025 implementation of the Medicare Part D redesign under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has impacted free drug programs. With the removal of the catastrophic coverage phase and a capped $2000 out-of-pocket maximum, more patients are moving from manufacturer assistance to commercial fills, supported by expanded foundation assistance funds and smoothing options.

"It’s really helped commercial pharmacy, but it’s had its impact on the free drug programs," Farida explained. “But from a patient’s perspective, the foundation assistance really helped a lot.”

Conclusion

In a landscape defined by evolving regulations, payer dynamics, and patient needs, AcariaHealth’s best practices in free drug program management underscore the importance of flexibility, integration, and patient-centered strategies. By maintaining a focus on operational excellence and continuous improvement, they help manufacturers and patients achieve better outcomes while navigating an increasingly complex environment.

Reference

Farida S, Watson A, MacNider S. Best practices in free drug program management: maximizing manufacturer and patient outcomes. Presented at: Asembia 2025; April 28, 2025; Las Vegas, NV.