Evernorth Launches AI-Powered Specialty Pharmacy Program: Pharmacy Forward
Evernorth is taking a significant step forward in the healthcare industry with the unveiling of its new specialty pharmacy program, Pharmacy Forward. This innovative initiative, fueled by artificial intelligence, aims to enhance the experience for patients dealing with complex health conditions.
Named Pharmacy Forward, the program leverages cutting-edge technology to deliver more coordinated and connected care, offering real-time, personalized support to patients. Initially, the focus will be on Accredo Specialty Pharmacy customers, with Evernorth committing a substantial investment of $100 million into the project by 2028.
Enhancing Care Through Technology
According to Evernorth, the program’s primary objective is to provide care teams with more time for clinical and patient care by accelerating prescription processing and improving service responsiveness. This initiative reflects the company’s commitment to refining patient care through technological advancements.
“Patients managing complex health issues require comprehensive, expert support, often at the most difficult moments of their lives,” said Matt Perlberg, president of pharmacy and care services at Evernorth Health Services, and executive vice president of customer innovation at The Cigna Group. “Pharmacy Forward reflects our commitment to meeting patients where they are – providing an even faster and more seamless experience while ensuring they receive the personal support and clinical care they deserve.”
AI in Action: Improving Patient Outcomes
The platform integrates essential clinical data and insights with AI-powered summaries and analysis. This empowers care teams to offer more connected and informed support, enabling early identification of patients at risk of discontinuing therapy or experiencing adverse events.
Evernorth anticipates that this initiative will significantly enhance medication adherence, aiming for over 80%, which is the current industry standard. Additionally, the deployment of AI is expected to reduce the burden of clinical documentation by 40%, allowing clinical teams to concentrate more on patient care.
Moreover, AI facilitates earlier intervention in the patient journey, preventing risks from escalating. Accredo has already employed AI-powered scheduling to engage patients at their preferred times, showcasing the practical application of this technology.
Streamlining Prescription Processes
Pharmacy Forward aims to streamline the prescription process, reducing the time it takes for patients to receive their medications. Accredo anticipates this will cut the prescription fulfillment time by half. A crucial component of this efficiency is utilizing AI to enhance prior authorization requests and identify copay assistance opportunities, ensuring patients receive their medications promptly.
The initiative also aims to improve the delivery of complex specialty medications to patients’ homes, further demonstrating Evernorth’s commitment to patient-centric care.
Future Prospects and Expected Impact
Evernorth projects that the program will generate $400 million in value by the end of 2028. Looking ahead, the company intends to expand many program components across other pharmacy operations, broadening the impact of Pharmacy Forward.
“AI enables us to fundamentally rethink the way we support every patient’s journey,” stated Katya Andresen, chief data, digital, and AI officer at Cigna Group, Evernorth’s parent company. “By responsibly combining real-time data, advanced analytics, and deep clinical expertise, we can provide more personalized, proactive support, helping people access the care they need faster and achieve better health outcomes.”
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