Project: Delta Pharmacy Patient Care Management (Project #29)
Partner: University of Mississippi, School of Pharmacy
In July of 2008, the Delta Pharmacy Patient Care Management Project was implemented to evaluate the impact of pharmacists on clinical, economic, and humanistic outcomes through provision of Medication Therapy Management (MTM) services and disease-specific education in underserved targeted areas of the Mississippi Delta. Specialized MTM efforts focused on the targeted gap disparities of asthma and diabetes, while generalized MTM centered on overall appropriate medication usage. The project’s aim is to work within community pharmacies to reach people in the community and help them identify how they can better treat their chronic diseases and use their medication.
In Years 1 and 2, pharmacy services were implemented in eleven community pharmacies in eight Delta counties. The target population in Year 1 focused on Medicaid patients and expanded in Year 2 to include all patients who met clinical criteria. Partnerships were developed with one primary care provider practice in three counties to implement Electronic Health Record (EHR) software that could be interfaced in the future with software that documents the community pharmacy interventions. A Community Pharmacy Residency Program was established to increase the provider network with capabilities of providing MTM. Health literacy was assessed in Delta patients and cultural competency educational programs were offered to providers.
In Year 3, generalized and specialized MTM services will be further expanded to include 4 additional counties. New goals for Year 3 include increasing the health literacy of patients and improving medication use and health outcomes for employees enrolled in a comprehensive MTM program by pharmacists in an insurer-based model. An MTM Support Center will also be developed in Year 3.
In years one and two 450 people were enrolled. Some have had general chronic conditions while others have specifically had either diabetes or asthma. Most of the participants reported significant benefits. The project is now using patient incentives within pharmacies to encourage participation, as well as placing pharmacists into physician’s offices to provide medication therapy management.
The health cost savings from medication therapy management for general chronic conditions was $4,662, for participants with diabetes was $15,129, and for people with asthma was $22,031 last year. The ways people have benefited included changing their dosage, changing the type of medication, or by learning how to take their medication correctly.
