pharmacy

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Living with COPD: 7 Strategies for Better Management

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You may be familiar with COPD – chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a chronic lung disease that gets worse over time. This disease damages the airways in the lungs and leads to shortness of breath, impacting work, exercise, sleep, and other everyday activities.

Even if you are living with COPD, you can still maintain a high quality of life. Try making some changes or careful choices based on these recommendations so you can stay active and continue enjoying your life while managing COPD.

7 Strategies for Better COPD Management

Use each link to delve into details about the subjects below. Information and links come from the American Lung Association.

1.      Protect Your Lungs: Since your lungs are weaker when you have COPD, learn how to reduce exposure to anything that could make your COPD worse (like smoking) or could cause an exacerbation or flare-up.

2.      Be Thoughtful about Nutrition: Many people are surprised to learn that the food they eat can affect their breathing. The right mix of nutrients in your diet can help you breathe easier.

3.      Be Intentional with Physical Activity: When you have COPD, the right amount and type of exercise can have many benefits and is important for staying healthy.

4.      Learn to Cope with Emotions: Find ways to get emotional support and learn to recognize and handle feelings of fear, anxiety, depression, or stress.

5.      Make a Plan: Use the American Lung Association’s COPD management tools and resources.

6.      Manage Lifestyle Changes: Follow the steps at this link to manage the lifestyle changes that COPD brings.

7.      Plan for Your Future with COPD: Discuss some important points about your future care with your doctors and caregivers.

How Is COPD Treated?

Physicians work closely with their patients to select the best treatment options for managing COPD. Treatments may include medications, rehabilitation, or surgery. Since each person’s COPD is different, a variety of medications can be used to create the best plan to address an individual’s symptoms and needs. Benefits of taking the right medication at the right time include:

  • Breathing better
  • Being able to do more of the things you enjoy
  • Having fewer flare-ups or exacerbations

Learn more about COPD treatment.

Inhalation Medications from Healthy Living Pharmacy

If you are taking medications to manage your COPD, try working with Healthy Living Pharmacy to obtain your prescriptions with concierge-level customer service and free shipping to your home. Call 866.779.8512 (Option 4) to speak with a pharmacist! 

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How Communication with Your Insurance Company Just Smoothed Out

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Michelle, our insurance verification expert.

Michelle, our insurance verification expert.

Do you ever get overwhelmed navigating calls and questions with your insurance company? Here’s something wonderful – when you order diabetes supplies, insulin pumps, or prescriptions from Healthy Living, we will do the work for you.

Our insurance verification process helps patients because we not only find out what will be covered, but we also help them get the most out of their benefits. We are ready and willing to contact patients’ insurance companies for them with any questions. And we have an expert to head up this process.

Michelle is officially a pro with insurance verification. She has been verifying insurance for medical supply customers for more than 16 years. Her experience goes a long way – she is very familiar with different insurance companies and what they do and don’t cover. How does she work her magic?

For orders that need insurance verification, Michelle starts at each customer’s insurance company website to find the details of the individual’s coverage.

  • Is there a deductible and have they met it?
  • What is the copay?
  • Does the patient have a secondary insurance that needs to be factored in as well?

Through this information, Michelle can estimate what a patient will need to pay out-of-pocket for an order. She is also prepared to call insurance companies for clarification or with questions whenever needed.

After Michelle gathers this info, the Healthy Living Customer Care Team or Insulin Pump & CGM Therapy Team calls patients to let them know about the details of their coverage, equipped to answer further questions or continue with the order.

This is just one step in the eligibility process that the Insulin Pump & CGM Therapy Team helps patients complete. In addition, Healthy Living Pharmacy has their own insurance verification team to assist customers and help them maximize their benefits, working closely with their insurance companies and their doctors.

Let us help you find smooth sailing with your health insurance company for medical supply orders. Reach us…

  • Via phone @ 866.779.8512
  • Via text @ 248.577.9903
  • Via chat @ myhlms.com
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A Pharmacy 'Where Everybody Knows Your Name'

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In the 80’s and early 90’s, the TV show Cheers became known for their tagline and theme song ‘Where Everybody Knows Your Name.’ People were at home and comfortable when they made it to the Cheers bar. Healthy Living Pharmacy is far from a bar, but we think the Cheers tagline fits us awfully well.

Our Small Pharmacy Team Knows Our Patients

When patients call Healthy Living Pharmacy, they won’t get one of a running list of pharmacists that regularly turn over like large chain drug stores. Only Mira, Grace, and Rickelle are there, always ready to help. They know many patients very well, and some patients specifically request each of them by name.

Getting to Know Healthy Living Pharmacy

Learn about what drives our team members.

Mira, Pharmacist - Check out this blog about Mira!

Grace, Pharmacy Tech – On why she loves to create connections with customers:

"What drives me is that I really enjoy helping people.  I truly get a warm and happy feeling after I help someone.  After I help them on the phone, I try to tell the person I am talking to “have a great day.”  I have noticed that after I say that the person on the other end usually gives me a nice response.  It seems like they know I care about them and it makes a connection that tells them they aren't just another phone call.  Sometimes I say enjoy the rest of your day and I hear them sigh like a weight has been lifted.  People just need to know that someone is listening to them and that they matter.  I have had customers like [Emily] who told me that she likes to talk to me and I know her by name and I take extra care with her.  I had a customer last week named [Matt] who called me several times with multiple questions.  He asked me if we are being recorded and then he said I deserved a raise and an extra week’s vacation!  He was great.  It helps to make a connection and recognize their names.  It does improve my customer service because I know they trust that I will follow through and help them out."

Rickelle, Pharmacy Tech – On why it matters to provide excellent customer service:

"Doing my job to ensure that every patient’s medical needs are met to the best of my ability, along with teamwork from co-workers in the pharmacy and different departments – if everyone puts the same amount of effort into it then we will succeed as a company/business and the most important: our customers will be supplied and happy."

Like Your Favorite Corner Pharmacy

Healthy Living offers a neighborhood pharmacy feel, with prescriptions delivered right to your door. Learn more about us at myhlms.com/pharmacy or by calling (866)779-8512 (Option 4).

WE LOVE TO HELP.

  • Call us @ (866)779-8512 or text us @ (248)577-9903.
  • Reach us through online chat at myhlms.com.
  • Sign up for the Healthy Living Blog at myhlms.com/subscribe.
  • Check out our online store at store.myhlms.com for accessories and over-the-counter medications.
  • Visit myhlms.com/providers to electronically complete and sign prescriptions for patients.

 

The Greatest Hits: Our Top 10 Posts in 2016

Detroit Tiger, Davy Jones, on Opening Day, 1911.

Detroit Tiger, Davy Jones, on Opening Day, 1911.

This has been an exciting year in the diabetes community! Thank you for journeying with us to explore the advancements, movements, and changes happening every week, and to hear about the latest Healthy Living news. We appreciate all of you!

#1

Text Me! The Benefits of Refill Reminders for Ease & Adherence

With our text reminder option, patients reorder their diabetes supplies more easily, readily, and frequently.

#2

Insulin Pump Technology Innovation from Medtronic and Tandem

Starting this year, both Tandem and Medtronic are offering pumps with new features that increase quality of life and ease of diabetes management.

#3

Healthy Living’s Online Retail Store Makes Life Simpler

Healthy Living’s online retail store offers products like over-the-counter medications, diabetes testing supplies, and insulin pump accessories. Customers can order with no shipping costs when delivered with an insurance-covered Healthy Living order. 

#4

5 Ways to Improve Customer Service & Their Meaning for Healthy Living

Our team reviewed the blog article What’s the Best Way to Improve Customer Service? 63 Influencers Weigh In.  Check out the top five favorites from Healthy Living employees.

#5

Healthy Living Celebrates Epic Teammate Performances This Fall

We celebrated outstanding Healthy Living employees this fall with the Player of the Week. Learn more about the four stars of 2016.

Autumn | John | Sherece | Tammi

#6

Healthy Living Creates New Employee-Inspired Core Values

All team members submitted a list of personal values, and from this compilation, the new Healthy Living Core Values were drafted. 

#7

Living with Allergies: Finding the Smoothest Back-to-School Path

One Michigan mom navigated the new-school-year requirements for dealing with her son’s food allergies…with help from Healthy Living Pharmacy: “It can be so overwhelming to deal with allergies, and Healthy Living Pharmacy made it simple.”

#8

Diabetes Is Expensive: How Healthy Living Helps

Healthy Living’s goal is to ensure that our patients NEVER run out of supplies so that they can stay adherent to their prescribed therapy, while also making sure there isn't unnecessary and costly surplus.

#9

Meet the Glucagon App - A Place to Learn & Prepare

Check out the “Glucagon” phone app – you can go through a practice simulation of using Glucagon and most importantly, there is a special section with interactive instructions to use during an actual emergency.

#10

Trick-or-Treating in Teal!

Did you see teal-colored pumpkins out on doorsteps this Halloween? The Teal Pumpkin Project is a very cool way for all children to be able to enjoy Halloween treats, stemming from an awareness program led by a food allergy mom.

Keep following us in 2017…we have more in store to keep you engaged and informed! Subscribe for the Healthy Living Blog at https://www.myhlms.com/blog/.

 

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Living with Allergies: Finding the Smoothest Back-to-School Path

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Meet amazing Margie! She’s a very busy mom of three, dear sister, friend, daughter, wife. Her life is very full, and it’s time for two of her little ones to go back to school. In fact, it’s a big year. Margie’s oldest started kindergarten today!

Preparations, hopes, plans, wonderings …allergies and prescriptions? Yes, Margie’s son has to be extra careful at school since he lives with nut allergies and asthma. Margie needed to work with the elementary school staff to make sure everyone would be aware of her son’s allergies to avoid any issues and be ready if a reaction should occur. So much to coordinate!

Thorough Emergency Preparations Are Essential

The elementary school needed:

1.     Specific forms for prescription medications filled out and signed by the doctor

2.     A certain amount of the prescribed medications (for example: (1) 2-pack of EpiPens with the original labels and box, with the dosage indicated)

Until the forms and medications were filled out completely and in order correctly, Margie’s son couldn’t start school.

Obtaining the paperwork requires:

1.     Getting an appointment and going to the allergist

·       Checking vitals and height

·       Answering questions about any recent food allergy or asthmatic reactions and about how they are affecting daily life

·       Testing lung capacity

2.     Asking the doctor to fill out the forms required by the school district

Margie needed to give her son’s doctor plenty of notice to fill out his forms in time for school.

Choose a Pharmacy That Will Take Time to Help

Margie went to Healthy Living Pharmacy for the medications prescribed to her son:

·       EpiPens

·       Benadryl

·       Emergency albuterol inhaler

·       Spacer for inhaler

Margie worked with Mira (pharmacist) and Grace (pharmacy tech) and said, “They’re wonderful!”

Healthy Living Pharmacy made it easy:

1.     The doctor sent the scripts directly to Healthy Living.

2.     Grace communicated with Margie to confirm the order.

3.     Healthy Living was flexible about how Margie got her driver’s license and insurance card to them – photo & text, photo & email, or in person.

4.     The order contained specialty items, and some were not in stock, so Margie’s order was ready the next day. Healthy Living could ship it to her home or she could pick it up, and Margie chose pick-up.

5.     The pharmacist put the EpiPens on auto-refill.

6.     Mira and Grace answered her questions right away – they were knowledgeable and accessible.

Margie expressed, “It can be so overwhelming to deal with allergies, and Healthy Living Pharmacy made it simple.” So Margie and her family are now ready for the school year and to enjoy to the exciting days ahead. After getting all of her supplies from Healthy Living, Margie said, “We really felt prepared for back-to-school time.”

We are so happy we could help!

  • Reach us through online chat at myhlms.com.
  • Text us @ (248)577-9903.
  • Check out our new online store at myhlms.com/shop for accessories and over-the-counter medications.
  • Visit myhlms.com/providers to electronically complete and sign prescriptions for patients.
Margie gave EpiPens to the school to store for her son, in case he has an allergic reaction.

Margie gave EpiPens to the school to store for her son, in case he has an allergic reaction.

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Text me! The Benefits of Refill Reminders for Ease & Adherence

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We know that our members can’t remain adherent without having their prescribed supplies and medications in hand. A refill reminder system can make a difference for many people, helping them stay on top of their health and compliant with doctors’ orders. At Healthy Living, once a customer enrolls and signs up for reminders, a text or phone call recording is sent every 30 to 90 days, about three days before the necessary reorder date to keep the patient on track with necessary supplies and medications.

Response Rates Are Higher with Reminder Texts

The text reminder option has boosted adherence for Healthy Living customers. We have found that people reorder more readily and frequently via text. For every 100 outbound reminder texts, the Healthy Living customer service team hears back and ships orders for about 70 patients. In comparison, for customers receiving reminder phone calls, only about 30% of patients either confirm their reorder at the moment of the call or by calling back later. Text message reminders really help Healthy Living patients stay on top of their ongoing diabetes maintenance and health.

Sample text message refill reminder

Sample text message refill reminder

Adherence Isn’t Easy

In their Global Research Report, Vision & Reality (9th Edition) , Capgemini Consulting researched and found that patient adherence levels drop over the course of care, from 69% of patients filling their first prescription to 43% of patients continuing their treatment as prescribed after six months.

Capgemini defines ‘patient adherence’ as the extent to which a patient follows a prescribed treatment regimen, including taking a drug as prescribed and following physician advice. They identified these patient-related factors as setbacks to compliance:

·       Forgetfulness and attitude

·       Inadequate knowledge of disease and treatment

·       Perceptions of diagnosis and health risks associated with disease and treatment

·       Misunderstanding of instructions and follow-up routing

Can't Help but Love the Text Reminders

Healthy Living is using this study and similar information to help design processes to improve the entire patient experience. Here are some of the comments we have recently received from customers:

  • "Absolutely love that you text me when it’s time to order.  I'm a terrible procrastinator and have often run out of supplies in the past.  The text system is so easy I now always have my supplies. Thank you!"
  • “I love that Healthy Living texts me before I know that I need diabetic supplies for my daughter."
  • “Super friendly service. I've been better about taking care of myself since you've been sending me my supplies. Thank you.”
  • “I really like ordering via text message. I have nothing but positive things to say about Healthy Living. I am so glad to have found you.”

We are excited that we have found a new way to help Healthy Living Medical Supply customers stay healthier!

  • Text us @ (248)577-9903.
  • Call us @ (866)779-8512.
  • Reach us through online chat at myhlms.com.
  • Check out our new online store at myhlms.com/shop for accessories and over-the-counter medications.
  • Visit myhlms.com/providers to electronically complete and sign prescriptions for patients.
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Spotlight on Mira, Star Healthy Living Pharmacist

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Today, we are happy to introduce Mira, one of our pharmacists at Healthy Living Medical Supply. Mira has been a pharmacist since 2009, and it seems like she has worked in just about every setting a pharmacist could find: a hospital, a big chain store, an independent setting, and an ambulatory care setting. With all of this behind her, Mira has found that what really makes Healthy Living unique is that it’s an environment where she has time to focus on patients, dedicating more time to specific situations when needed, without so many distractions that she can’t work patiently with patients.

A big part of Mira’s job is keeping the lines of communication open between doctors, patients, and our pharmacy – ensuring consistent refills, understanding tapering orders, and monitoring dose changes. Communication is crucial, and Mira is constantly on the phone talking with patients or doctors’ offices. As Mira says so well, “You can’t put problems away. You have to be proactive, focus on communication, keep everyone informed – doing the job thoroughly, and doing it well.”

Mira’s pharmacy team supports each other and includes Joe (fellow pharmacist), Grace (pharmacy tech), and Bryan and Alex (inhalation medication experts). The team gets questions each day from patients about specific drugs and side effects, dosing, remaining refills, or what to expect if the drug looks different or it’s the first time they are taking it. The pharmacy team also help patients navigate their insurance questions.

We had a chance to ask Mira what she likes best about working at Healthy Living Medical Supply.  She loves the opportunity to collaborate with different departments within Healthy Living and within the medical community. Mira explained that in this environment, she can see the big picture to make smoother transitions for patients, do more thorough medication and supplies reconciliations, and also solve different challenges every day. She is also very grateful for the community of people she works with at Healthy Living, and we are surely thankful for her!

We’re here to help!

  • Contact our pharmacy at (866)779-8512, option 4.

  • Reach us through online chat at myhlms.com.

  • Text us @ (248)577-9903.

  • Check out our new online store at myhlms.com/shop for accessories and over-the-counter medications.

  • Visit myhlms.com/providers to electronically complete and sign prescriptions for patients.