C3HealthcareRx, a Raleigh-based startup led by former Blue Cross Blue Shield executive Susan Weaver that focuses on in-home medication management and what it calls a “pharmacy home” for patients with chronic or complex medical conditions, is making lots of news: Funding, new HQ, new exec hire.

The firm recently landed $7.2 million in new financing.

It’s also relocating from Raleigh to a new headquarters in Morrisville.

And to help drive growth as well as expansion, C3 hired Todd Shoe as chief growth officer. He formerly was Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Texas-based HealthHelp.

Weaver, who was named CEO last year and is an MD, said the funding will be used in part to expand the footprint of its services.

“Our target patients typically average five to seven chronic maintenance medications and are dealing with complex dosing regimens as well as social challenges every day,” Weaver said in a statement. “We bring pharmacy specialists to them with a high-touch approach that simplifies how they manage their medications.

“By engaging patients in their homes, helping them better understand and adhere to their prescribed medications, and serving as an extension of the healthcare team, we’re accomplishing the ‘triple aim’ of healthcare–improving the patient experience, improving the health of distinct patient populations, and reducing the per-capita cost of health care. That’s what really excites our clients, and it’s been the driving force behind our growth.”

The startup, which launched in 2013, has customers in North Carolina, Virginia, and California (where it has pharmacy locations) plus Florida, Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Weaver is a former chief medical office at BCBSNC.

The 3C model

In the C3 model, the patient is visited at home by a C3 certified pharmacy technician (CPhT) who completes a full medication inventory and health assessment and then facilitates an in-person or “virtual” counseling session with a C3 pharmacist. The pharmacist checks for medication errors, missing medications, potential drug-drug interactions and duplications of therapies, and then works directly with the patient’s physician(s) to make any necessary changes and to recommend lower-cost alternatives when appropriate. The C3 pharmacist also discusses medication concerns with the patient and provides medication counseling.

Benefits:

  • Hospital readmission rates that average 30 percent lower than baseline readmission rates at C3 client hospitals and health systems;
  • Medication adherence rates that are consistently in 5 Star range for Medicare Advantage patients with hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes;
  • Utilization of lower-cost medication regimens in more than 51 percent of cases managed by C3; and
  • Identification and correction of potential errors in 42 percent of all patient visits.

Source: C3