At River’s Edge Pharmacy, we realize that wellness is not limited to doctor visits and medications. Which is why we partner directly with our greatest stakeholders – our patients.
• 100% FREE •
• Disease-specific education •
• Online HIPAA-compliant therapy tracking platform •
• Counseling and coaching •
• Streamlined for time-saving appointments •
River’s Edge Pharmacy is passionate about improving patient therapy outcome in order to achieve long-term transformation. The Patient Healthcare and Wellness Program established by River’s Edge Pharmacy aims to accomplish this by working one-on-one with patients as they navigate the complex worlds of insurance, therapy, and medication.
River’s Edge Pharmacy understands the difficulties faced by patients when confronted with a serious health diagnosis. By educating patients on their illness and treatment, the Patient Healthcare and Wellness Program bridges the gap between patients and their treating specialist. This comprehensive, patient-centric approach to treatment awareness makes each appointment more effective, and ensures positive treatment outcomes.
FACT
Patients are not prepared to ask the correct questions and are reluctant to share their concerns with their specialists
“I needed real information. My kids kept using Google to give me answers. It didn’t make sense.”
“After going through treatment, I need ongoing support. This will be with me for the rest of my life”
“In the beginning, all I did was think about going to doctor’s appointments. I forgot about living.”
Through individual and group meetings, patients are provided with in-depth education, advice, and guidance as they navigate the complex world of specialty healthcare. This innovative program is provided exclusively by River’s Edge Pharmacy, and is completely free for patients.
The program utilizes the benefits of connecting patients through group meetings that take place inside River’s Edge facilities, as well as virtually through any digital device.
“I felt alone in the beginning. I didn’t want to talk about it to my friends or family.”
“I went hiking again. I mentally felt on top of the world. It reminded me how important it is to just get out there. Thank you for helping me understand I can still do things I love!”
“Energy budgeting has been a huge ‘aha’ moment for me. I’m having energy to bake and quilt again when I manage how I spend my energy. I’m excited to get to know more about myself and what I can do!”
Patient Adherence to treatment (Source: IQVA)
Patient Acceptance to program (Source: NCBI)
Physicians more likely to prescribe through specialty pharmacy with wellness program (Source: Wellthy Therapeutics)
Higher medication adherence at 36 months compared to control group (Source: Journal of Managed Care + Specialty Pharmacy)
Patients aged 14-22 searched online for buddy for encouragement (Source: CSL Behring)
CORE CONCEPTS
of the PATH Program by River's Edge Pharmacy
The continual state of wellbeing while actively engaging in personal health-promoting behaviors regardless of the condition(s). Examples include (but are not limited to):
Having a supportive community is one of the six pillars of physical and emotional health. The PATH program has active patient communities where patients with a similar diagnosis or treatment meet virtually or in person.
PATH communities are not therapy groups, but rather a place for patients to share their experiences, knowledge, offer support, and laugh! Patients empower each other to stay motivated to live well realizing that living with a chronic condition can be hard – it’s a shared understanding focused on thriving.
Patients report benefiting from PATH communities whether they have a large outside network of support or are experiencing isolation.
Through the PATH Program’s Emergency Response Planning, patients will gain detailed knowledge of diagnoses, as well as current medications and side effects.
This information can further be shared with with their employers, family, friends, school, etc. in the event immediate actions are needed due to side effects and/or diagnosis.
Energy Budgeting is similar to financial budgeting. With money budgeting, you first pay the basic and most important bills for (ie: rent/mortgage, utilities, food, healthcare, etc.). Next, you save the remaining money for a later time/date in the future (ie: special events, vacation, investments, etc.)
Most patients with a life-changing diagnosis experience and change in their energy. For this reason, the practice of Energy Budgeting was created by River’s Edge Pharmacy and provides patients with tools and methods to effectively allocate and distribute their energy. Energy budgeting is a great tool for everyone but becomes crucial for patients with chronic diseases.
With financial budgeting and energy budgeting, it’s best to expect the unexpected, and perfectly normal to fall short on both. The key is to get back on track. As a patient, if you feel drained of energy, remember that resting is productive. Studies indicate that daily 20-30 minutes of resting, even if you don’t fall asleep, with no distractions (phone calls, technology, television, books, etc.) provide an energy boost for patients who are managing chronic diseases.
Appropriate exercise for your condition as well as nutrition guided by your medical team are shown to boost energy “dollars” over time. (Examples of exercise and nutrition vary widely depending on condition and stage of treatment). The benefits of these are seen after long-term diligence. It is not a quick fix, but PATH keeps patients motivated. Scientific studies support these as long-term energy boosters.
Active patients arrive at their appointments prepared with relevant questions based on documented symptoms, side effects, concerns, and positive outcomes. These patients engage in proactive health behaviors such as exercise, mindfulness, connection, good nutrition, health education, and accessing support.
Passive patients don’t take a role in their healthcare and treatment. Instead, they will expect their doctor(s) or specialist(s) to make all the decisions for them. This off-setting of responsibilities robs patients of their autonomy and freedom, and leads to deviating from their medication therapy. It may also result in risky health behaviors.
The PATH program centers all its efforts around the patient, and tailors the outcomes to his/her specific needs. The unique approach to patient empowerment comes from the personalized care and support to enhance the patient’s social, emotional, and physical health, followed by regular monitoring and updates.
Through disease/treatment literacy, along with in-depth explanation of clinical terminologies, PATH arms patients with the right questions to ask their doctors. This preparedness makes each visit more efficacious by providing better clarity on what to expect, and forges stronger relationships between the patients and their doctors. This partnership also helps doctors know how to better advocate on the behalf of the patients.
Each patient has the opportunity to attain personal equity and full health potential regardless of quality of life, severity of disease, access to treatment, disability, length of disease, or prognosis. This personal equity is achieved by the patient as well as immediate and easy access to the PATH program for River’s Edge Patients.
When beginning medication therapy, patients are given an individualized assessment and guidance through the help of the PATH program. This education mitigates anxiety and fears about their diseases and medications.
PATH encourages wellness through a mutually supportive environment which involves one-on-one interaction via a HIPAA-compliant, secure, online patient portal, phone calls, and/or email.
The ability to use courage and strength to face the adversity of a life-changing health diagnosis by engaging in community, mentorship, and persisting through challenges.
PATH’s approach to treatment adherence involves regular coaching, education, and monitoring of progress to ensure patients remain on track. PATH offers community resources as well as the ability to communicate with the River’s Edge clinical team if a patient reports a medical issue with their specialty medication treatment.
Interested in learning more about mitigating patient non-adherence? CLICK HERE to read how PATH and River’s Edge Pharmacy use a team approach.
A patient’s overall state of good mental, physical, and psychological health – regardless of condition(s), – which is achieved through practicing daily healthy habits that are appropriate for their disease. Using the online therapy monitoring platform, patients are able to accomplish wellness goals and track their progress, while being provided with guidance on their specific condition(s). PATH’s objective is to increase the patient’s ability to enjoy normal life activities, regardless of treatment.
The PATH Program by River’s Edge Pharmacy lifts the workload from you and your staff by offering innovative patient care solutions, along with the support and resources you need to manage the therapy regimens of your patients:
Jennifer “Lizzie” MacDonald leads the PATH - Patient Healthcare and Wellness Program at River’s Edge Pharmacy. As a patient with multiple chronic conditions, Lizzie has first-hand experience with navigating the complex health system.
Throughout her journey, she has become impassioned with sharing her knowledge and serving as an ambassador for patient independence, wellness, and recovery. This not only lead to patients’ relief and comfort, it has provided an opportunity for doctors to utilize a patient advocate for more effective and time-saving care in their practices.
Lizzie is an outspoken supporter of creating community through support groups as well as through the invaluable connection of one-on-one interactions for patients who are managing chronic/complex illnesses. Through her efforts, she has emboldened patients to share their ideas, goals, and triumphs, as well as live life to the fullest, regardless of their condition(s).
Tips for Better Exercise with an Acute or Chronic Illness
Mitigating Patient Non-adherence: A Team Approach
River’s Edge Pharmacy Partners with The Cancer Community Clubhouse of Reno, NV for the Paint and Sip Event
Mindfulness And What it Means in the Context of Chronic Illness
Summer Heat and Autoimmune Disease
Chronic Inflammatory Demylenating Polyneuropathy (CIDP)
Telehealth: Humanity for All
ACCREDITATIONS
River's Edge Pharmacy proudly displays the URAC, ACHC, and NABP Accreditations as they demonstrate their commitment to quality healthcare services.