Retrospective Analysis of Medication Adherence and Cost Following Medication Therapy Management

Ashley Branham

Joseph Moose

Stefanie Ferreri

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/iip.v1i1.195

Keywords: adherence, medication therapy management, comprehensive medication reviews, disease management, chronic disease


Abstract

Objective: To determine if pharmacist-provided medication therapy management (MTM) improves medication adherence in Medicare patients. A secondary objective is to compare the total monthly cost of a patient's prescription medication regimen 6 months before and 6 months following a comprehensive medication review (CMR).

Design: Retrospective analysis of medication adherence, pre-post comparison.

Setting: Three independent pharmacies in North Carolina.

Patients: 97 Medicare Part D beneficiaries with one or more chronic disease states who participated in a comprehensive medication review (CMR).

Intervention: MTM services provided by community pharmacists.

Main outcome measure: Change in adherence as measured by the proportion of days covered (PDC) and change in medication costs for patients and third party payers.

Results: Patients were adherent to chronic disease-state medications before and after MTM (PDC≥ 0.8). Overall, change in mean adherence before and after MTM did not change significantly (0.87 and 0.88, respectively; p = 0.43). However, patients taking medications for cholesterol management, GERD, thyroid and BPH demonstrated improved adherence following a CMR. No change in adherence was noted for patients using antihypertensives and antidiabetic agents. Average total chronic disease-state medication costs for participants were reduced from $210.74 to $193.63 (p=0.08) following the comprehensive medication review. Total costs for patient and third party payers decreased from patients prescribed antilipemics, antihypertensives, GERD and thyroid disorders following a CMR.

Conclusions: Pharmacist-provided MTM services were effective at improving medication adherence for some patients managed with chronic medications. Pharmacist-provided MTM services also were effective in decreasing total medication costs.

Type: Original Research

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.