With the prevalence of chronic disease conditions on the rise, Great-West Life Assurance Co. and Shoppers Drug Mart have entered into an agreement to introduce two new health support programs for Great-West Life clients.
Through the new agreement, participating Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacists will offer a diabetes support program for eligible Great-West Life plan members who are living with diabetes, as well as a comprehensive medication counselling program for eligible Great-West Life plan members who are taking one of the specific maintenance medications.
“The Shoppers Drug Mart store network, which is open and accessible seven days a week, including more than 1,125 participating pharmacies, offers more potential points of access than any other pharmacy services provider in the country,” says Brad Fedorchuk, vice-president, group marketing for Winnipeg-based Great-West Life
The diabetes support program was developed to provide Great-West Life plan members, who are living with diabetes, the opportunity to connect with a participating Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist trained in diabetes management.
Additionally, plan members will have access to more than 450 Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacists who are Certified Diabetes Educators. The diabetes support program will include A1C testing, medication therapy recommendations and lifestyle management counselling.
Through the new agreement with Shoppers Drug Mart, the diabetes support program will initially be made available to approximately 120,000 Great-West Life plan members and the medications counselling program will be made available to approximately 15,000 Great-West Life plan members.
The medication counselling program encourages plan member medication cost awareness and medication adherence for better health outcomes, while reducing drug plan costs to the plan sponsor.
Both health support programs are multi-year and are intended to be of a long-term nature. The programs build upon the pharmaceutical knowledge and counseling expertise of Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacists to provide extended support to Great-West Life plan members on a completely voluntary basis, at no cost to plan members or their benefits plans.
Great-West Life serves the needs of more than 32,000 plan sponsors and their plan members. It is a subsidiary of Great-West Lifeco Inc. (TSX:GWO).