Diabetes Ten City Challenge Reduces Health Care Costs and Improves Patie...( Data confirm...),Health

Data confirm model can drive fundamental change in the U.S. health care system

Washington, D.C. (Vocus) April 6, 2009 -- Results of the Diabetes Ten City Challenge (DTCC) released today by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Foundation demonstrate how employers and pharmacists can work together to help people with diabetes manage their disease and reduce health care costs.

The data, which will be published in a peer reviewed article in the May/June issue of the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association (JAPhA), show average total health care costs were reduced annually by $1,079 per patient compared to projected costs if the DTCC had not been implemented. Aggregate data for 573 participants, who were in the program for an average of 14.8 months, show patients saved an average of $593 per year on their diabetes medications and supplies because employers waived co-pays to encourage people to participate in the DTCC.

According to the analysis, there also were improvements in key clinical measures - including a 23% increase in the number of participants achieving the American Diabetes Association A1C (blood glucose) goal of <7; an 11% increase in the number of participants achieving National Cholesterol Education Program goals; and a 39% increase in the number of participants with a combined diastolic/systolic bloo
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