Sutter Health, one of the top five large-health systems in the US, announced they are using Qventus’ artificial intelligence platform in 30 pharmacies across their system. Initially, the platform will launch at four strategically chosen hospital sites within the health system’s network, then quickly roll out to 26 additional sites.
With inpatient drug costs at an all-time high, Sutter will work with Qventus to better manage drug costs and help determine where a pharmacist-led intervention may be needed to ensure that patients receive the most appropriate medications for their treatment. The Qventusplatform will also help pharmacists prioritize the neediest patients for drug consultation, which can help increase adherence, reduce errors and improve compliance.
To do so, Qventus software uses NLP/ML to mine hospital, patient and pharmacy data in real-time to identify opportunities to reduce drug spending and mitigate other issues. For example, reducing readmissions by identifying patients who would benefit from additional pharmacist counseling or medication education due to the complex nature of their medication regimens or discharge instructions.
Pharmacy operations is a growing opportunity for hospitals. More than 90 percent of hospital leaders report that price hikes for inpatient drugs have had a moderate or severe effect on managing overall costs. Additionally, hospital pharmacists understand the need to balance personalized service with increasing patient volumes. Clinicians have the added challenge of managing and monitoring lots of pharmaceutical usage data across disparate systems.
“Applying Qventus’ artificial intelligence to our pharmaceutical operations allows us to identify areas of improvement while keeping the focus on those in our care,” said Ryan Stice, PharmD, executive director of Pharmacy at Sutter Health. “This platform can help our care teams have more meaningful conversations with our patients—helping explain care plans in ways they understand and ensure they feel supported.”
