Medication Therapy Management

Jessica Sipe, PharmDBartell Drugs Community Pharmacy

Practice ResidentMarch 1, 2011

Objectives

• Define Medication Therapy Management (MTM)

• Identify the essential components of MTM• Give real-life examples of MTM services• Explain the importance of pharmacist

involvement in MTM services

What is MTM?

What is MTM?

• Medication Therapy Management• Services that assure medications are

used to– “Optimize therapeutic outcomes

through improved medication use”– “Reduce the risk of adverse events,

including adverse drug interactions”

Why is MTM needed?

• Medication-related problems are a massive public health issue in the U.S.

• A 2009 report by NACDS and NCPA found that only half of patients are compliant with their prescription drug regimen– An estimated 1.5 million preventable adverse

events occur year– Overall cost of poor medication adherence

runs as much as $290 billion per year• 13% of the nation’s total health care expenditures

Where did MTM come from?• MTM is not a new service• Some components are already done daily

by most pharmacists• In the 1980s and 1990s, pharmacists

began developing a systematic process to assess individual patients’ medication therapies

• Pharmacists started to receive reimbursement for these services as early as 1992

Where did MTM come from?• Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement,

and Modernization Act of 2003– Prescription Drug Plans (PDP) must have MTM

programs for Medicare Part D medications– The program requires collaboration with a

licensed pharmacist or other qualified provider and the patient’s physician(s)

– Geared towards specific patients – “targeted beneficiaries”

– Ensured that pharmacists received compensation for their services

MTM Participants

Who can benefit from MTM?

• Everyone!• Patients who use:–Prescription medications–OTCs–Herbals and other supplements

Who can benefit from MTM?

• Patients who may benefit the most:– On several medications– With several health conditions– Who have questions or problems with

their medications– Taking medications that require close

monitoring– Have been recently hospitalized– Obtain their medications from more than

one pharmacy

Who is eligible for MTM Services?

• Anyone who wants to pay out of pocket

• Anyone whose prescription drug plan (PDP) will pay for it– In Medicare terms, these patients are

“targeted beneficiaries”– Often these patients will be identified

for you

Current Targeted Beneficiary Requirements• Must have multiple chronic diseases

– PDP cannot require more than 3 chronic diseases– PDP can choose to accept any chronic diseases or limit

enrollment to specific diseases, but must target at least four of these conditions:• Hypertension• Heart failure• Diabetes• Dyslipidemia• Respiratory disease• Bone disease/arthritis• Mental health

Current Targeted Beneficiary Requirements, cont’d

• Must take “multiple” Part D medications– PDP cannot require more than 8 medications

as the minimum • “High” drug costs– Before 2009: patients had to be predicted to

spend at least $4000 on medications– 2010 and beyond: patients have to be

predicted to spend at least $3000 on medications

• 12.9% of Medicare Part D members were eligible in 2010.

Activities that could be considered MTM services• Performing or obtaining necessary assessments

of the patient’s health status• Formulating a medication treatment plan• Selecting, initiating, modifying, or administering

medication therapy• Monitoring and evaluating the patient’s response

to therapy, including safety and effectiveness• Performing a comprehensive medication review

to identify, resolve, and prevent medication-related problems, including adverse drug events

Activities that could be considered MTM services• Documenting the care delivered and communicating

essential information to the patient’s other primary care providers

• Providing verbal education and training designed to enhance patient understanding and appropriate use of his/her medications

• Providing information, support services and resources designed to enhance patient adherence with his/her therapeutic regimens

• Coordinating and integrating medication therapy management services within the broader health care-management services being provided to the patient

Questions so far?

Providing MTM

• Setting– Institutional– Ambulatory/community

• Two types of MTM– Point-of-care– Comprehensive Medication Review

• Payment for services is ideally based on the time, clinical intensity and resources required to perform the services

What happens during an MTM Service?

Point-of-Care MTM

• Typically related to a specific medication product

• Involves identifying potential problems during the normal workflow of the pharmacy (i.e. at the “point of care”)

• Interventions are on-going and may occur at any time

• Examples:– Formulary management– Monitoring medication compliance– Assessing need for new care– Providing patient education on new medication with

follow-up

Comprehensive Medication Review• Patient-focused interview between the patient and

the pharmacist– Review all medications (prescription, OTC, herbal,

supplements)– Identify, resolve, and prevent medication-related

problems– Improve medication therapy and disease management

• Must be offered yearly to all targeted beneficiaries• 3 parts:

– Pre-work-up– Patient Interview/Consultation– Follow-up

Pre-Work-Up

• Initial review of medications (preparing for the consultation):– Drug Interactions– Cost-saving opportunities– Therapeutic Duplication/Suboptimal

therapy– Appropriateness of therapy– Over-use/Under-use of medications– Insufficient/Excessive dosing– Lab Assessment

Poly-Med Guide• List of patient’s medications sorted by

disease state– Drug, strength, and quantity prescribed– Directions– Refill history– Comments/Questions/Concerns

• Counseling points• Side effects• Efficacy of therapy• Monitoring• Compliance/Frequency of use• Cost-savings opportunities• Administration/technique

Consultation

• Face-to-face or by telephone– Face-to-face interaction is preferred

• Clarify allergies and medical conditions• Assess– Medication use/adherence– Side effects and efficacy– Goals of therapy and progress– Understanding of medication therapy– Administration technique

Consultation

• Other issues to assess and address– Patient’s healthcare priorities• Cost• Comfort

– Minimizing side effects

• Convenience– Simplifying therapy

– Language barriers– Literacy level– Cultural Issues

Follow-up

• Provider– Document care provided– Collaborate with provider to find solutions to

medication therapy issues• Patient– Provide master medication list– Propose a medication action plan to:

• Address identified problems • Maintain self-management efficacy

– Assess improvement/decline in therapy– Address additional questions/concerns

Any Questions So Far?

MTM Platforms

• For billing and documentation– May also help assess medication problems

• Generally internet-based• MirixaPro™– Face-to-face CMR; $100– Telephone CMR; $60– Flat-fee reimbursement only

• Outcomes Pharmaceutical Health Care™– CMR (face-to-face only); $50– Can bill for subsequent claims resulting from

CMR

OutcomesTM Classification of Pharmacist Interventions

A. Drug Therapy Problems– Indications

• Needs Therapy• Unnecessary Therapy

– Efficacy• Suboptimal Drug Selection• Insufficient Dose/Duration

– Safety• Adverse Drug Reaction• Drug Interaction• Excessive Dose/Duration

B. Compliance Assessment– Overuse– Underuse– Admin/Technique

C. Cost Efficacy ManagementD. New/Change Prescription

or OTC TherapyE. Other

OutcomesTM Classification of Results

A. Drug Therapy Problems Indications

o Initiated Therapyo Discontinued Therapy

Efficacyo Changed Drugo Increased Dose/Duration

Safetyo Altered Regimen/Change

Drugo Decreased Dose/Duration

B. Compliance Assessment Altered Compliance Altered Admin/Technique

C. Cost Efficacy Management Initiated Cost Effective Drug

D. New/Change Prescription or OTC Therapy Therapeutic Success Therapeutic Failure

E. Other

Patient refusal or prescriber refusal are also potential results of pharmacist interventions

OutcomesTM Billing: ECA levels

• The significance of MTM services is reported to OutcomesTM via estimated cost avoidance (ECA) levels.• Justification must be provided by the pharmacist• The claim is reviewed to be sure that the ECA level

is reasonable. • Each ECA level has an associated ECA dollar amount

tied it which approximates the cost of future pharmaceutical, medical, and/or hospital-related costs that would have likely resulted had the MTM intervention not taken place. • Based on a cost of illness model & updated annually

for inflation.

OutcomesTM Billing: ECA levels

• Refusal: Patient/Prescriber Refusal• Level 1: Improved Quality of Care• Level 2: Drug Product Costs• Level 3: Additional Physician Visit• Level 4: Additional Prescription Order• Level 5: Emergency Room Visit• Level 6: Hospital Admission• Level 7: Life Threatening

Where is MTM going?

• The Medication Therapy Management Empowerment Act of 2011– Would increase the number of seniors eligible

under Medicare Part D for MTM services– Patients would only need one chronic

condition, such as heart disease, to be a targeted beneficiary

– Introduced by Sen. Kay Hagan (D, NC) and co-sponsored by Sens. Al Franken (D, MN), Sherrod Brown (D, OH) and Tim Johnson (D, SD)

– Introduced on Feb 3, 2011 and referred to the Senate Finance Committee

Where is MTM going?

• Many leaders in pharmacy circles see MTM as the future of the profession– But pharmacists need to make time for it and

integrate MTM into their everyday activities

• Where ever you take it – get involved!– Participate in student legislative days– Get involved in pharmacy organizations at the

local, state and national level– Prove to patients, physicians and other

providers that pharmacists are the best-equipped to offer MTM services

Conclusions

• MTM is an important tool to optimize therapeutic outcomes

• It’s important for pharmacists to take advantage of opportunities to provide MTM– Use your clinical skills – Get valued for your expertise– Get recognized and paid for your

services

Additional MTM Resources

• American Pharmacists Association:– www.pharmacist.com MTM Central

• UW Pharmacy Cares:– sop.washington.edu/pharmacy-cares

• Association of Managed Care Pharmacists:– www.amcp.org/amcp.ark?p=2FEF7BCF

• Center for Medicare & Medicare Services:– www.cms.gov/prescriptiondrugcovcontra/082

_mtm.asp

• Washington State Pharmacy Association:– www.wsparx.org

Pre-lab

• MTM Activity• Pass/Redo• Assess patient eligibility for MTM• Complete a CMR for a patient– Work-up with poly-med guide– Patient interview and consultation– Follow-up with patient

• No Homework!

Questions?