PRIME Partners With AGA and AMCP on Hepatitis C Virus and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Educational Initiative

Alexandria, Va., March 2, 2016 — PRIME Education, Inc. (PRIME), the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), and the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), are pleased to announce a groundbreaking initiative in collegial learning between payers and providers to improve treatment decision-making in chronic and costly gastroenterological (GI) diseases.

Commencing at the AMCP Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA (April 19–22), 12 live workshops will be conducted in cities across the U.S. with high prevalence of and extensive networks of healthcare professionals who treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Online accreditation will follow. These workshops will bring together GI providers and managed care pharmacy professionals to achieve mutual understanding of their interprofessional roles and shared goals for promoting appropriate, timely, and effective treatment practices for patients. This unique educational program will benefit GI physicians and managed care pharmacy professionals who manage patients with HCV and IBD, based upon the paradigm shifts in treatment and available therapies, as well as issues of cost and health outcomes in these two severe chronic diseases. 

This collaborative initiative among the AGA, AMCP, and PRIME resulted from research and data analytics of previous PRIME quality improvement research initiatives in HCV and IBD that demonstrate suboptimal processes among GI specialists for managing the resources required to meet managed care treatment review processes. Moreover, many physicians lack awareness of strategies for collaborating with health plans and specialty pharmacies to ensure that patients are aware of and take full advantage of existing disease management and medication therapy management programs to maximize treatment adherence, lower costs, and optimize health outcomes. 

Physicians and managed care pharmacy professionals interested in learning more should contact PRIME at questions@primeinc.org or 954-718-6055. This initiative is sponsored through independent education grants from Gilead Sciences, Inc. and AbbVie.

About PRIME
Based in Ft. Lauderdale, FL for the past 22 years, PRIME is a healthcare education and research company that has been designing and executing quality improvement programs in chronic diseases since 2006. Combining the insights of patient and provider data analytics with innovative accredited educational interventions, PRIME’s measurable programs teach doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other clinicians, as well as patients how to collaborate, communicate, and apply evidence together to improve outcomes of care. Results of PRIME’s programs are published in multiple peer-reviewed medical journals available at: www.primece.com/publications. 

About the AGA Institute 
The American Gastroenterological Association is the trusted voice of the GI community. Founded in 1897, the AGA has grown to more than 16,000 members from around the globe who are involved in all aspects of the science, practice, and advancement of gastroenterology. The AGA Institute administers the practice, research, and educational programs of the organization. For additional information, visit www.gastro.org. 

About AMCP
The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy is a national professional association of pharmacists and other healthcare practitioners who serve society by the application of sound medication management principles and strategies to improve health care for all. The Academy’s more than 8,000 members develop and provide a diversified range of clinical, educational, business, and medication management services and strategies on behalf of the more than 200 million Americans covered by a managed care pharmacy benefit. For more information, refer to www.amcp.org. 

Contact: 
Danielle Wright, Communications Lead Specialist
d.wright@primeinc.org 
954-718-6055, ext. 53.