Aetna Health Connections(SM) Programs Strengthened by Additional Pharmacists Who Help Close Gaps in Prescription Drug Care.

HARTFORD, Conn. -- As former US Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, M.D. pointed out years ago: "Drugs don't work in patients who don't take them." To help improve the likelihood that members in the Aetna Health Connections(SM) Disease Management and Case Management programs are prescribed appropriate medication, that they understand their prescription drug orders, and that they follow them faithfully, Aetna (NYSE:AET) has hired five specially trained, on-site pharmacists to work with members whose health may be at risk, and with their physicians.

"The services provided by our recently hired pharmacotherapy specialists are a valuable addition to the Aetna Health Connections family of medical management programs and services, which help our members achieve and maintain their personal best health," said Patricia Mueller, M.D., Aetna head of Medical Operations. "Through these offerings, Aetna takes a personalized, integrated and holistic approach to supporting member health, and provides useful information to help members make smarter health care decisions."

Pharmacotherapy specialists are pharmacists with extensive clinical training and experience who specialize in drug therapy monitoring and assessment. Working within the Aetna Health Connections Disease Management and Case Management programs, they provide a significant layer of integrated member health support on pharmacy issues.

"Working hand-in-hand with the member's assigned Aetna nurse, the pharmacotherapy specialist examines the member's claim experience, health record, and the nurse's notes, and then works with the treating physician to help develop a personalized, evidence-based treatment program that the member can follow successfully," said Dr. Mueller. "We attempt to identify members who are not taking the appropriate medication for their condition. These gaps in care can occur for many reasons, such as when members fail to fill a prescription, or when they see multiple physicians who each believe another physician would have prescribed it - but in actuality, none of them have prescribed it."

The pharmacotherapists work to close these gaps by discussing these situations with physicians and, following physician preference, will also reach out directly to members to help them understand why they take certain medications or how to take them. "It's our goal to help them better understand their medication regimen and why it's so important to follow it carefully," said Mark Rubino, Chief Pharmacy Officer for Aetna Pharmacy Management.

Here are just a few of the alarming statistics on poor adherence to medication regimens:

* One in three US adults say they do not adhere to their drug treatment plan. (2005 Harris Interactive[R] online survey conducted for The Wall Street Journal.)

* Poor adherence to a drug treatment plan accounts for substantial worsening of disease, death, and increased health care costs. (New England Journal of Medicine 2005: 353:487-97.)

* The estimated annual cost of poor adherence to drug treatment plans is estimated at $100 billion annually. (New England Journal of Medicine 2005: 353:487-97.)

Through the Aetna Health Connections DM and CM programs, members are identified for outreach by a pharmacotherapy specialist if they:

* Have chronic heart failure and do not have or are not consistently filling a prescription for an ACE-inhibitor.

* Have coronary artery disease and are not consistently filling anti-hypertensive or lipid-lowering medications as prescribed.

* Have been prescribed drugs for erectile dysfunction (such as Viagra) and nitrates, which can interact, causing dangerously low blood pressure.

"Because Aetna receives claims when members are treated for their medical conditions and when they fill prescriptions, our nurses can see if a prescription is being filled regularly, and if it will interact harmfully with other prescribed drugs - two critical details the member's own physician doesn't always have," Dr. Mueller said. "This claim data is often dramatically enhanced by other important details that a member may share with an Aetna nurse, or through our Health Risk Assessment. This information creates an opportunity for us to find risks to patient safety or health care quality, and work with the member and their physician to address them."

Aetna Health Connections programs include, among others:

* Case management

* Disease management

* A 24-hour, toll free nurse hot line (The Informed Health[R] Line)

* Maternity management

* Wellness offerings, including tobacco cessation, weight management, workplace health education programs, and discounts and incentives to encourage a healthy lifestyle

* Our e-Health initiatives, including the new Health History Report, the CareEngine([R]) -powered Personal Health Record, and the Simple Steps Health Assessment

Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 34.9 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life, long-term care and disability plans, and medical management capabilities. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans and government-sponsored plans. www.aetna.com