The benefit of patient-focused MTM services

If the approach to medication therapy management (MTM) is flexible, integration of MTM services into the design of a health plan can impact plan performance and result in a positive return on investment, according to Kevin Boesen, PharmD, chief information officer, SinfoniaRx, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.

Speaking at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) meeting in a session entitled Improved Measured Outcomes in MTM, Boesen emphasized the need for MTM services to help reduce medication misuse that results in considerable mortality and morbidity in patients and costs the healthcare system over $200 billion every year. In people with serious chronic illnesses, who account for the majority of healthcare spending, he highlighted that half are treated by 3 or more physicians and one-third use multiple pharmacies, which increases the complexity of their care and risk of medication misuse.

According to Boesen, mixed reports about the impact of MTM services may be due to their evaluation as a one-size-fits-all approach to MTM, when in reality the value of MTM is in their different approaches that work well in different environments. He talked about using different modalities to deliver MTM services tailored to the needs of the patient, including delivering  comprehensive medication reviews or brief targeting consultations via face-to-face, by telephone, or video conferencing, and by using other technologies such as texts or smart phone apps.

“MTM services delivered in a patient-focused fashion in a manner best for the patient will have an impact,” he said, emphasizing the potential for a dramatic impact on patient outcomes if medication misuse can be prevented and corrected.

For executives who are seeking to improve health and wellness in their health plans, MTM services integrated into a health plan is another way to accomplish this along with the current focus on other programs such as STAR ratings in Medicare, value-based contracting, and other pay-for-performance strategies.