Medication Therapy Management
How It Works
Medication Therapy Management (MTM) utilizes video-conferencing technology to connect participating pharmacists and patients with Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) clinical teams for consultations. The pharmacists review patient medical records, help create and optimize comprehensive MTM plans, and provide ongoing patient oversight and education.
Benefits
- Better Health—Increased patient access to specialized MTM and education supports adherence and improves health and safety.
- Better Care—Expanding the expert resources that are available to patients and clinical teams, allows for improved comprehensive individualized care and patient oversight, especially for patients with complex, chronic conditions.
- Lower Cost—Optimizing medication adherence reduces health care costs by improving overall patient health, which can lead to decreased emergency room visits and re-hospitalization rates.
How does it help?
- Reducing Barriers—Poor medication adherence is one of the greatest barriers to achieving optimal outcomes in patients with chronic disease.
- Lowering Costs—Appropriate utilization of medication can positively affect 4% of Medicare/Medicaid drug costs, and 96% of other health care costs.
- Improving Outcomes—A recent randomized control trial in Oregon showed that over a two-year period, a remotely located physician/pharmacist team-based approach significantly improved cholesterol levels in patients with diabetes mellitus.
- Reducing Re-admissions—Traditional Case Management with medication follow-up by a pharmacist after discharge demonstrated decreased re-admission rates in first 30 days.
Establishing a ‘Medical Neighborhood’
A well-functioning medical neighborhood allows for the effective flow of information across care facilities, and between clinicians and patients. The focus is centered around patients, with a balance between evidence-based care and patient preferences. Virtual pharmacists in Medication Therapy Management connect with PCMHs via telehealth.
