CCS: ‘There’s something about that DME interaction’

DALLAS – People with diabetes fall off their therapy all the time for a variety of reasons, but DME providers are best equipped to catch them when they do, according to the results of a new study conducted by CCS. 

DME patients reinitiated their use of continuous glucose monitors 22% of the time compared to 10% of pharmacy patients, the study found. 

“I didn’t expect the difference to be that big,” said Dr. Arti Masturzo, chief medical officer at CCS. “People fall off therapy all the time, it’s just part of modern health care. What that tells me is that there’s something about the DME interaction and the way the relationships work.” 

The study also found that DME patients had a 23% higher adherence rate than pharmacy patients. 

Closer contact 

When a patient stops ordering supplies, a sign they have fallen off their therapy, a DME provider will likely call, whereas a pharmacy might send a text stating their prescription is ready for a refill, Masturzo says. 

“That’s what we do at CCS,” she said. “We reach out and say, ‘We’ve noticed this, is everything OK? Are you having issues affording your devices?’ Then we can help them.” 

CCS recently launched a new AI-powered predictive model, PropheSee, that identifies patients at risk of falling off therapy and deploys personalized interventions that help to improve patient adherence. 

Room for both 

As CGM use continues to expand, industry advocates have worked to protect coverage for the devices under the DME benefit, especially with efforts in several states to move to pharmacy-only, particularly for certain Medicaid and Medicare Advantage patients, says Masturzo. 

“We’re not saying it needs to be DME only, but don’t do pharmacy only because then you’re potentially causing harm,” she said. “Pharmacists are very capable, but they may not have the bandwidth or the resources to provide support and education, and frankly, their business model isn’t incentivized to do that.”