Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

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Add this study to the pile of evidence supporting a greater role for community pharmacists in medication therapy management (MTM).

New research from the National Council on Patient Information and Education suggests that millions of U.S. residents with chronic conditions either do not take medications correctly or stop taking them altogether, according to a report released in August.

The report, "Enhancing Prescription Medicine Adherence: A National Action Plan," notes that people who initially are symptom-free are particularly at risk. For example, only about half of hypertension patients follow their prescribed drug regimen, even though high blood pressure triples the risk of heart disease.

Poor adherence could be costing the nation as much as $177 billion in medical bills and lost productivity per year, and it is associated with up to 40 percent of nursing home admissions, the report finds

Stumbling block: Though there's plenty of recognition that pharmacists can help address the problem, federal policies are failing to clear the way.

"Statutorily, we still have very little guidance from the feds [about medication therapy management within Part D]," says Stacey Swartz of the National Community Pharmacists Association.

The greatest opportunities for pharmacists may lie with managed care plans, she says, since they focus on improving outcomes overall--not just controlling drug costs.

Resource: To find out more about the report or to purchase a copy ($50), go to www.talkaboutrx.org/med_compliance.jsp.