Acclaim Ability Management is working with Shoppers Drug Mart to offer one-on-one coaching services for employees with mental health issues, who are on short-term disability leave. Employers can choose from two offerings that aim to get employees back to work sooner, and lessen the risk of escalation to long-term disability leaves.
"This is an industry-first. We are taking employee support to the next level by bringing in pharmacists to provide practical, cost-effective services throughout the treatment journey," says Sean Bradley, president and CEO of Acclaim Ability Management.
The coaches are pharmacists, available through Shoppers Drug Mart's Clinical Health Coaching program. Employees can access their coaches virtually or by phone, and the services are available regardless of where employees fill their prescriptions. The coaches will:
Screen employees for a number of chronic conditions, which often affect mental health, and give recommendations based on the results.
Evaluate medication regimens, identify drug therapy problems and recommend solutions.
Provide counselling on safe and appropriate use of medications, with follow-ups to assess adherence, side effects and efficacy of those medications.
Work with employees to set goals, create action plans and monitor progress, ultimately enabling them with tools to take control of their health with confidence.
The Clinical Health Coaching program can also include pharmacogenomic testing, a tool to predict drug response that can be especially impactful in the treatment of mental illness.
"We are excited to be providing better patient care by leveraging the expertise of our pharmacists in new ways. The coaching services provided can help improve the quality and speed of recovery, and help employees better manage their health once back at work," says Mark Rolnick, Vice President, Payor Partnerships and Plan Sponsor Innovation at Shoppers Drug Mart. He adds that the Shoppers Drug Mart Clinical Health Coaching program will eventually expand to include other conditions, such as chronic pain.
