Staff recommends CDPHP pharmacy-concierge program; committee backs referral to Board

County staff presented an optional CDPHP "pharmacy-concierge" service that places pharmacists to review county members' prescriptions and work directly with prescribing physicians to identify lower-cost therapeutic alternatives.

According to the packet, the vendor provided a retrospective savings analysis that suggested potential six-figure savings for the county; staff said CDPHP proposes a per‑member‑per‑month administrative fee cited in the meeting materials as $1.75 PMPM and that CDPHP would guarantee at least the administrative fee back to the county if measured savings fall short in the first year. "This is a win‑win all around," the staff presenter said when summarizing the program's risk‑share guarantee.

Committee members asked how the program operates in practice: the presenter said pharmacists contact providers (often before the patient leaves the office) and the physician — not CDPHP or the county — would make the final prescribing decision; patients would not be forced to change medications. Members pressed staff for evidence of provider responsiveness; staff acknowledged CDPHP provided example outcomes (discussed in the meeting as "30–40%" in some materials) but did not supply local case studies and agreed to request concrete post‑implementation metrics and contact/conversion reports.

The committee voted to recommend the county contract with CDPHP for the reduced pharmacy‑cost guaranteed program and to refer the item to the Columbia County Board of Supervisors for final approval; the recorded action was "motion carried," and no roll‑call tally was provided in the transcript. Staff will obtain additional implementation data from CDPHP — including sample client studies and reports on outreach success rates — for the Board packet and for the committee to review before any renewal decision.