Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy Health Services Division Achieves High Marks in Pilot Program for Chronic Kidney Disease ...( SWARTZ CREEK Mich. Oct. 17 /- Dip...)

SWARTZ CREEK, Mich., Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Diplomat Health Services, in conjunction with McLaren Health Plan, The National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, and corporate sponsor Genzyme, announced today the results of its pilot program for the management of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). The program managed chronic kidney disease patients for McLaren Health Plan and showed combined medication and medical cost savings of $300 per patient per month compared to the control group.

Ron Alexander, Vice President of Clinical Services, stated, "This proactive approach proves the effectiveness of our Disease Management Program. We further validated the published savings of $150 per patient per day in delaying the onset of dialysis. Kudos to our staff who received excellent results from our patient satisfaction surveys. Obviously we are very pleased with these results."

The program developed over the course of one year included disease management for Chronic Kidney Disease, Diabetes, and Hypertension. The heart of the CKD Navigator Program is Diplomat's clinical staff who consulted with the patient and their primary care physician to assist in the care of the patient. Medical and prescription cost data was tracked for 6 months and compared to a control group. The program will now be expanded to include additional patients.

Dr. Petroff, Medical Director, McLaren Health Plan stated, "We know disease management programs benefit both patients and healthcare professionals. The results of this CKD pilot program prove that a well-managed CKD disease management program can make a difference in the health of people living with this disease. This data proves that when patients are personally coached or managed, they become more adherent in taking their medication and have a more positive response to therapy."

Maurie Ferriter, Director of Programs and Services at the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan stated, "This shows that this is truly a win - win s
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