CVS Health Corp. and healthcare software company Epic Systems Corp. have teamed up to provide drug prescribers with expanded visibility to lower-cost alternatives through analytics and data sharing.

The initiative will help reduce drug costs by improving prescription decision-making for patients and their care teams, CVS Health said in an Oct. 16 announcement.

The pharmacy and healthcare retailer will use Epic's population health and analytics platform Healthy Planet to generate insights related to dispensing patterns and behaviors around medication adherence.

CVS Health said the benefit information and facilitated, point-of-prescribing electronic prior authorization will help improve and simplify patient access to necessary medications and ensure their prescribers know about prescription insurance formulary status and less expensive alternatives.

CVS Health currently works with Epic to support its MinuteClinic nurse practitioners and CVS Specialty's care management programs.