The Health Advancement Collaborative of Central New York (HACCNY) held their first seminar for local businesses on May 1 at the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce.

The seminar, ‘Pharmacy Costs in the Workplace’, featured local experts in healthcare, pharmacy, insurance and benefits management.

Coverage of prescription drugs is a significant, yet manageable component of rising employer health care costs. In 2005, private insurance accounted for 47.9 percent of all prescription drug costs nationally, up 8.6 percent from the previous year. The burden on area employers is significant given that 61 percent of all health care coverage locally is in the commercial market.

Nancy Smith, HACCNY executive director says, “The seminar’s goal was to provide practical information and tools so employers can better offer cost-effective and beneficial packages to their employees.” Smith goes on to say, “There is so much opportunity for savings out there when it comes to pharmaceutical costs – employee education is the key. Knowing what questions to ask doctors and pharmacists can help a consumer reduce expenses.”

The seminar, ‘Pharmacy Costs in the Workplace’, featured local experts in healthcare, pharmacy, insurance and benefits management.

David F. Lehmann, MD, Pharm.D., professor of medicine and pharmacology at SUNY Upstate Medical University delivered a keynote address entitled, “Threading the Needle”.

Jeffrey S. Sneider, MD, internist and chair, HACCNY pharmaceutical committee; Joel Owerbach, Pharm.D., vice president and chief pharmacy officer for Excellus Health Plans; Allen Krassenbaum, B.S. supervising pharmacist, DeWitt Kmart Pharmacy; Daniel J. Villa, R.Ph., president, ProAct, Inc., a Division of Kinney Drugs; James R. Hopsicker, R.Ph., MBA, vice-president, pharmacy programs, MVP Health Care/Preferred Care served as panel members for further discussion on pharmacy utilization and costs.

A second panel of area employers including Welch Allyn, Toshiba, and ClearPath Diagnostics, discussed pharmaceutical cost control from an employer perspective. Attendees and panel members shared experiences and reviewed what worked and what didn’t work for their respective company. Having the opportunity to hear the different approaches to controlling health care costs, and specifically the rising concern on pharmacy costs, was enlightening.

HACCNY, a not for profit corporation, was formed by the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce, Metropolitan Development Association of Central New York (MDA), Manufacturers Association of Central New York (MACNY), Onondaga County Medical Society, Excellus, and the Hospital Executive Council, for the purposes of advancing the delivery of quality care, improving access to quality care, and employing technology to enhance the delivery of care and controlling health care costs in CNY.

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