Set Medication Therapy Management Goals for 2023

As the New Year approaches, pharmacists are faced with many important decisions, which may include developing goals for medication therapy management (MTM) practices that improve outcomes. Enhancing professional development through training and developing collaborative practice agreements (CPAs) with health care providers may be at the top of pharmacists’ lists (Figure).^1-4 It is a great time for pharmacists to develop New Year’s resolutions for their MTM practices.

Using a team-based approach to patient care is an essential component of collaborative drug therapy management (CDTM).² This involves developing a CPA between pharmacists and at least 1 other health care provider. This allows pharmacists to perform counseling, medication monitoring, patient assessments, and referrals under an established protocol.² Research results have shown that CDTM is effective at lowering blood pressure (BP), cholesterol levels, and hemoglobin A1C.² Pharmacists at El Rio Community Health Center in Tucson, Arizona, established CPAs with the center’s medical providers. After CDTM was established, El Rio reported improved clinical outcomes such as lower BP and cholesterol levels.²

The results of 1 pilot study showed that a pharmacist-physician CPA for the treatment of chronic pain is well accepted.³ Pharmacists met with patients in a private office clinic for an initial 60-minute appointment.³ Additionally, pharmacists made MTM recommendations based on the patient’s medication history and risk factors for substance use disorder. Pharmacists and physicians collaborated on the dosing recommendations, education, and follow-up.³

Pharmacists can enhance MTM clinical training for the upcoming year with professional development using a variety of resources. The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Delivering Medication Therapy Management Services certificate training program includes strategies for developing and implementing MTM services in a variety of pharmacy practice settings.¹ The APhA program includes both a live component and self-study, and pharmacists can earn continuing education (CE) credits.¹ PowerPak also offers a MTM certificate program¹ that is a self-paced online course in which pharmacists earn CE credits.

Another opportunity for professional advancement is becoming board certified in MTM. The National Board of Medication Therapy Management (NBMTM) recently announced that the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) has accredited the Board Certified Medication Therapy Management Specialist (BCMTMS) program.⁴

“The NCCA is the gold standard precisely because of the rigor required to become accredited,” Julien Tran, PharmD, BCMTMS, director of information technology for NBMTM, said in a statement.

Pharmacists who are interested in the BCMTMS program must have 2 years of MTM experience or NBMTM-approved training.⁴ Additionally, pharmacists must have a pharmacy degree, hold an unrestricted license, and pass the BCMTMS examination.⁴ Pharmacists with MTM experience can also apply to serve as subject matter experts for NBMTM for examination development, maintenance, and test revisions.

References

1. Chapter 11: MTM training resources. National Board of Medication Therapy Management. Accessed October 10, 2022. https://www.nbmtm.org/mtm-reference/mtm-training-resources/

2. Pharmacy: collaborative practice agreements to enable collaborative drug therapy management. CDC. Updated August 27, 2021. Accessed October 10, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/pubs/guides/best-practices/pharmacist-cdtm.htm

3. Lagisetty P, Smith A, Antoku D, et al. A physician-pharmacist collaborative care model to prevent opioid misuse. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2020;77(10):771-780. doi:10.1093/ajhp/zxaa060

4. NBMTM’s board certification in medication therapy management joins elite group of NCCA-accredited programs. National Board of Medication Therapy Management. June 8, 2022. Accessed October 13, 2022. https://www.nbmtm.org/nbmtm-board-certification-medication-ther-apy-management-joins-elite-group-ncca-accredited-programs/

About the Author

Jennifer Gershman, PharmD, CPH, PACS, is a drug information pharmacist and Pharmacy Times® contributor who lives in South Florida.