Impact of a community pharmacist referral on the completion of annual wellness visits

Abstract

Background

Annual Wellness Visits (AWV) are preventive care visits designed to promote overall health and well-being for older adults, but patient completion is well behind the anticipated rate. Community pharmacists are accessible health care professionals who routinely provide preventive care education and could educate patients on AWV importance.

Objectives

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a community pharmacist referral on acceptance and completion of Medicare AWVs. The secondary objectives were to describe the source of AWV completion, compare study results to Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) AWV completion rate, and evaluate referral declination reasons.

Methods

Patients were eligible for study participation if they were at least 66 years of age, had active Medicare coverage, and were active pharmacy patients. During the referral intervention, pharmacists assessed the patient’s AWV completion status, provided AWV education, and referred the patient to complete an AWV if appropriate. A follow-up intervention was completed 8 to 12 weeks after referral intervention completion. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate primary and secondary objectives, and a chi-square test was used compare the study AWV completion rate to the national CMS rate, which was 45.0% in 2020.

Results

Of the 3,171 completed interventions, 2,745 patients (86.6%) self-reported they completed an AWV in the past 12 months. Pharmacists identified 315 patients eligible for an AWV, with 238 accepted referrals. During the follow-up intervention, 146 patients reported completing an AWV, and 24 patients scheduled an appointment, for a completion rate of 54.0%, which was statistically significant compared to national CMS data (P = 0.026).

Conclusion

The community pharmacist AWV referral process increased the number of patients who completed an AWV, resulting in a higher completion rate compared to national CMS data. Pharmacists were well equipped to complete referrals, and real-time patient identification supported completion. Anecdotal evidence suggests there is still an opportunity to improve patients’ understanding of AWVs.