Grass roots effort to meet the needs of physicians treating patients taking multiple medications has grown and in use by other companies.

Keeping Customer First Puts Company on Fast Growth Track; Drug Compounding the Latest Innovation

By Ray Brasted

A Florida full service pharmacy and ancillary medical benefits management company, myMatrixx, continues to make news as one of the fastest growing private companies in the U.S., as reported by Inc. Magazine.

Under the direction of founder and CEO, Steven MacDonald, myMatrixx has focused on technical innovation “to keep the customer first.” As he put it after learning of the magazine report, “We are a customer-centric company.”

This focus has guided myMatrixx in its mission to simplify the solutions it seeks to bring to the workers’ compensation arena, bridging the gap between the injured patient, physician, dispensing pharmacy and the insurance professional.

For example, to meet the needs of certain patients who have been suffering pain over an extended period of time, the pharmaceutical technique of compounding drugs has been developed at myMatrixx under the direction of Phil Walls, RPh, Senior Vice President of Pharmacy Operations.

“There was a growing need for compounding services,” Walls told the Voice. He gave as an example the company’s ability to provide a topical compound containing the specific medications, in the right amount of dosage, required by a patient. By using just one topical compounded medication rather than taking multiple pills each day, the patient’s risk of over-medication declined and cost was lowered while compliance increased.

“An interesting thing began to happen as we developed our services,” Walls pointed out. “The topical use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ketoprofen has long been available only from a compounding pharmacy. Now we are seeing the marketing of topical products such as Voltaren® Gel and Flector® patches from pharmaceutical manufacturers. However, the advantage of compounding – the addition of multiple ingredients in a single product – is lost when commercial products are used, as well as the accompanying cost savings.”

Because of myMatrixx’s dedication to simplifying what can sometimes be otherwise complicated, there is an ongoing program to work closely with physicians to develop the right dosage of medication for their patients.
“This began as a grass roots effort and the feeling among physicians, adjusters and patients was ‘let’s give compounding a try’,” Walls said.

Patients who had suffered pain for an extended period of time and were not getting any better were the first to have their medications compounded. “It was a case among the various parties of saying we have tried everything else,” Walls pointed out.

He said the company is at the point where it can show positive outcomes in a number of cases, with long term savings and better outcomes for patients.
The pharmacists at myMatrixx work closely with doctors to provide them with information on the most effective extensions and alternatives to commercially available products.

Writing on the company’s website, Walls and myMatrixx colleague Michael Nguyen, PharmD wrote: “The major focus of pharmaceutical compounding is to empower doctors to venture beyond the borders of commercial products and treat patients on the basis of fundamental medical principles.”
Walls credits the positive atmosphere and the leadership of company founder MacDonald for the growth of the company and the willingness to develop programs like compounding services. “It is exciting work and you can see the passion that permeates all of myMatrixx. Employees enjoy the work they are doing.”

In keeping with the efforts to make their system easier and more efficient to use, the company established 1Click Ancillary, a system which allows professionals to access information that instantly delivers a complete list and quote for all of the supplies and services they need in a single view.
You might say the approach to making life simpler for professionals in the industry is also compounding the growth of myMatrixx.

Ed. Note: myMatrixx provides pharmacy services, mail order, compounding, clinical pharmacy consulting, ancillary supplies, durable medical equipment and customized reporting. Visit www.myMatrixx.com for details.