November/December 2009

	IN THIS ISSUE

	New OTC Product: Prevacid 24HR Effective Communication for Plan Success Part 2 Reinforce Your Message Member Education: Diet and Exercise Heart Health	New OTC Product: Prevacid 24HR Novartis recently introduced an over-the-counter (OTC) version of Prevacid called Prevacid 24HR. In addition to this new OTC product, the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapeutic category includes other OTC medications, as well as both branded and generic products. Innoviant has been monitoring this product introduction for several months, and we expect immediate impact to be minimal based on the following factors: Prevacid 24HR is a 15mg delayed release capsule while prescription Prevacid is available in multiple dosage strengths and forms; depending on individual patients’ therapeutic needs, the 15mg capsule may not always be the appropriate dose. Prevacid 24HR is only available as a branded product at this time. A generic equivalent to prescription Prevacid (lansoprazole) recently became available in 15 and 30mg delayed release capsule formulations (due to generic availability, prescription Prevacid will move to Tier 3 on February 1, 2010; look for more in the December 2009 issue of Pharmacy Passages). Innoviant expects the pharmaceutical marketplace will take time to stabilize given the recent additions of both Prevacid 24HR and lansoprazole. We will continue to monitor the PPI landscape and let you know about future changes to PPI coverage as they are recommended. Effective Communication for Plan Success Part 2: Reinforce Your Message *By Erin Klein, Innoviant Marketing Communications Manager* Turning potential savings into reality depends on getting your members to use the programs you choose for your plan design. Peak communication events, like open enrollment meetings, are a great opportunity to tell members about all programs. Following up with additional, specific communications can further increase your members’ chances of retaining and using pharmacy program information. Three principles work together to make follow-up communications reach optimal efficacy: Focus on one or two programs Use multiple methods to deliver your message Publish and republish your message over an extended period of time As a starting point to see these principles put into action, click here to access a sample Wise Choice Rx communication campaign. This plan, which is in Microsoft Excel format, includes a tab for each phase of the program (planning, execution and wrap-up). You can work with your Innoviant Account Manager to use the campaign as is or adapt it for your organization. Whether you wish to focus on Wise Choice Rx or another Innoviant program, we offer a robust library of communications to support your unique member communication needs. Communication is not a one-size-fits-all activity. Reinforcing it with messaging focused on just one or two programs and then repeating it over a period of time and in several different mediums significantly increases the chance your members will remember and act upon the information, yielding both plan and member savings. *Through Client Connection and Innoviant.com, you have access to educational content specifically written for members that you can adapt to meet your unique member communication needs.* Because this is a combined issue of Client Connection for November and December, it features two installments of our regular member education column: diet and exercise and heart health (in addition to these, you can reference other member communications on a wide variety of topics from the member publications page of our website). The last few months of every year may also seem to be the busiest. Holiday gatherings with friends and family often include delectable dishes and other tasty treats. Along with seasonal changes that may decrease outdoor activity, this can be a very difficult time of year to eat right, exercise and stay well. Because of the many advantages of heart health and diet and exercise, sharing this information with your members could contribute to better managing your plan’s overall benefit costs and, most importantly, help them live healthier lives. Diet and Exercise Nutrition and Exercise – Eating well helps your body get the nutrients it needs, and exercise has many health benefits. Learn more about foods to eat and activities to do to live a healthier lifestyle. Understanding Obesity – People who are overweight or obese weigh more than what is considered healthy for how tall they are. Obesity can lead to many health problems. This brochure shares information about what obesity is and how to overcome it. Conquering Childhood Obesity – If your child puts on extra pounds easily, it may be an early sign of a weight problem, and being overweight can lead to additional health issues. Get tips to help your child eat better and become more active. Body Mass Index – One way to tell if you are overweight or obese is to know your body mass index (BMI). This brochure explains how to calculate BMI and provides guidelines for health BMI levels. How to Read Food Labels – Eating healthy is about more than eating foods that are good for you – it also means how much food you eat. Paying attention to portions can help you reach and maintain the right weight for your body. Heart Health Your Heart – If you know how your heart works, you can take better care of it. After all, your heart is a big, strong muscle with a lot of work to do – and you can’t live without it! Your Heart and Coronary Heart Disease – Heart disease is any condition that damages your heart or arteries, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Learn more about what you can do to prevent or manage diseases that damage your heart. Your Heart and Smoking – Smoking is blamed for one in five deaths in the U.S., and most people know it causes breathing problems and lung cancer, but smoking can also lead to heart disease. This brochure offers information on heart-related risks of smoking, including those associated with second-hand smoke. Your Heart and Cholesterol – Your body needs some cholesterol to work the right way, but too much of the wrong kind of cholesterol can cause problems with your heart. Learn more about what cholesterol is and how to make sure your cholesterol levels are in check.


	LOOKING AHEAD

	Office Closures Our offices will be closed in observance of several holidays on the following days: December 25 for Christmas Day January 1 for New Year's Day January 18 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day The Innoviant Customer Service Center will remain open. December and January Health Observances Health observances are days, weeks or months devoted to promoting particular health concerns. You may choose to use these special times to sponsor health promotion events, stimulate awareness of health risks or focus on disease prevention. The following observances are recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the months of December 2009 and January 2010. For more information about the observance or to obtain support materials, please contact the sponsoring organization directly via the websites provided. December 2009: World AIDS Day: December 1 (www.unaids.org) National Handwashing Awareness Week: December 6-12 (www.henrythehand.com) Safe Toys and Gifts Month (www.preventblindness.org) January 2010: Cervical Health Awareness Month (www.nccc-online.org/awareness.html) National Birth Defects Prevention Month (www.nbdpn.org) Thyroid Awareness Month (www.aace.com) Glaucoma Awareness Month (www.preventblindness.org) Source: 2009 and 2010 National Health Observances, National Health Information Center, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.


A Customer-Directed Monthly eNewsletter Announcing Changes to the Innoviant Preferred Products List OPEN NOVEMBER 2009 ISSUE OF PHARMACY PASSAGES