Delmarva Foundation Implements Medication Therapy Management Program in Maryl...( Local Quality Improvement Organiz...),Health

Local Quality Improvement Organization is part of national effort to

improve health of Medicare beneficiaries

HANOVER, Md., Sept. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) across the country are working in partnership with Medicare Part D prescription drug plans (PDPs) and Medicare Advantage plans (MA-PDs) to improve the quality of prescription drug therapy for Medicare beneficiaries. Delmarva Foundation, Medicare's QIO for Maryland and the District of Columbia, implemented a program aimed at helping Medicare beneficiaries use prescription drugs more appropriately and effectively at their local pharmacies.

Through collaboration among Medi-CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Howard University School of Pharmacy, and Delmarva Foundation, this program seeks to improve the safety and quality of prescription drug therapy via use of medication therapy management services (MTMS) in community-based pharmacies. MTMS focuses on improving patients' understanding of the medications they are taking and assessing patients' medications for appropriateness, as well as any potential side effects of their prescriptions.

Delmarva's collaboration was unique across the nation in that it involved local schools of pharmacy and targeted actions of community-based pharmacists.

"This initiative is win-win for providers, Medi-CareFirst, pharmacists and especially patients. Medicare beneficiaries have been able to take advantage of the knowledge and expertise of community pharmacists to help them understand their medications and to take more control of managing their own health," said Carmen Tyler Winston, Vice President, Delmarva Foundation. "In addition to providing increased access to prescription drug coverage, this program helps create a higher quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries in Maryland and the District of Columbia who are taking prescription medications."'/>"/>