The American Pharmacists Association describes medication therapy management (MTM) as medical care provided by pharmacis
Paul R. Brayshaw, M.P.H. Director of Healthcare Advocacy and Programs Factor Support Network, a Matrix Health Group Company Regional Care Coordinator, Mid-Atlantic Region
THE HEALTH ADVOCATE
Medication Therapy Management The American Pharmacists Association describes medication therapy management (MTM) as medical care provided by pharmacists whose aim is to optimize drug therapy and improve therapeutic outcomes for patients. The practice of MTM greatly increased as part of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, and Medicare Part D implementation. Medicare requires prescription plans to include MTM, and involves performing patient assessments, comprehensive medication review, a medication treatment plan, monitoring of efficacy and safety, enhancing adherence through empowerment and education, as well as the appropriate documentation and communication with the prescribing clinician to ensure comprehensive care. In addition to Medicare requiring MTM practices, commercial insurance and accrediting agencies (i.e. URAC) are also enforcing compliance as a component of ongoing certification and innetwork provider status. As a specialty pharmacy provider of patients who are insured by public and commercial insurers, the Matrix Health Group pharmacy staff and Regional Care Coordinators interact with the patient population to fulfill these requirements for all our patients. With every order of medication, our staff
works with patients to determine adherence to prophylaxis regimens prescribed by their clinician, as well as gather information to properly document traumatic or spontaneous bleeding episodes. This information is critical to understanding the safety and effectiveness of clotting factor for products being used regularly over time, or in situations when product transitions are occurring. To understand the efficacy of a product as patients age, gain/lose weight, size, activity, change product and or in case of inhibitor development, it is critically important to have regular and timely access to this information through infusion logs. The changing landscape of insurance along with concerns about increasing costs of health care, especially related to prescription drugs, adds to the importance of good health record keeping. For patients with bleeding disorders, treatment logs are the basis of medication therapy management. The chronic and acute nature of bleeding disorders require proper management, treatment and prevention facilitated by expert pharmacy and staff. To achieve an optimal health outcome, and for patients to successfully manage their condition, infusion logs provide all stakeholders involved with patient care a critical tool. American Pharmacists Association. (2017). What is Medication Therapy Management?. http://www.pharmacist.com/mtm
