Medication therapy management

Medication Therapy Management (MTM) is a distinct service or group of services provided by health care providers, including pharmacists, to ensure the best therapeutic outcomes for patients. MTM includes five core components: medication therapy review, a personal medication record, a medication-related action plan, intervention or referral, and documentation and follow-up.

Overview

Medication Therapy Management is designed to optimize drug therapy and improve therapeutic outcomes for patients. It includes a broad range of professional activities and responsibilities within the licensed pharmacist’s, or other qualified health care provider's, scope of practice. These may include, but are not limited to, the following: performing patient assessments or targeted medication reviews for the purpose of identifying and resolving medication-related problems; formulating a medication treatment plan; monitoring efficacy and safety of medication therapy; enhancing medication adherence through patient empowerment and education; and documenting and communicating MTM services to prescribers in order to maintain comprehensive patient care.

Core Components

Medication Therapy Review

A Medication Therapy Review (MTR) is a systematic process of collecting patient and medication-related information which occurs during the pharmacist-patient consultation. The review identifies and prioritizes medication-related problems.

Personal Medication Record

A Personal Medication Record (PMR) is a comprehensive record of the patient’s medications (prescription and non-prescription), including name, indication, dose, route, frequency, start and stop dates, and the prescriber.

Medication-Related Action Plan

A Medication-Related Action Plan (MAP) is a patient-centric document containing a list of actions for the patient to use in tracking progress for self-management.

Intervention and/or Referral

The pharmacist provides an Intervention and/or Referral when necessary to address medication-related problems. This could be a change in prescription, or a referral to a physician or other healthcare professional.

Documentation and Follow-Up

Documentation and Follow-Up is the final step in the MTM process. The pharmacist documents the care delivered and schedules a follow-up appointment to ensure the effectiveness and safety of the medication therapy.

See Also

• Pharmacy
• Pharmacist
• Clinical pharmacy
• Pharmacotherapy