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Involve pharmacists in therapy management

Ambulatory Safety Monitor, August 11, 2004

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Although the deadline to submit applications to participate in a therapy management pilot program has passed, clinical pharmacists in specialized practices should encourage their groups to get involved in therapy management to help patients.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) stopped accepting proposals August 6 for participation in the three-year pilot Voluntary Chronic Care Improvement Program, which aims to help Medicare beneficiaries with multiple chronic illnesses-including diabetes and congestive heart failure-manage their conditions.

Pharmacists have the expertise and knowledge to help patients with multiple chronic illnesses, to manage their medications, and to get them the most effective treatment, says Gary Stein, PhD, director of federal regulatory affairs for the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

"It's long overdue," Stein says. "We have been trying to inform [CMS] for years about the importance of clinical pharmacists. Physicians and nurses just don't have the expertise in medication therapy management that pharmacists have."

For example, the following might occur at an ambulatory anticoagulation clinic:

• The patient sees a physician
• The physician prescribes medication
• The pharmacist fills the order, follows up with the patient at certain intervals depending on treatment, and ensures that the patient takes the correct dose and uses the medications properly

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