Reports from Omnicare Highlight Recent Findings in Patient Care (Comprehensive Medication Reviews in Long-term Care Facilities: History of Process…

Reports from Omnicare Highlight Recent Findings in Patient Care (Comprehensive Medication Reviews in Long-term Care Facilities: History of Process Implementation and 2015 Results)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Weekly News -- Investigators publish new report on Patient Care. According to news reporting originating in Cincinnati, Ohio, by VerticalNews journalists, research stated, "Since 2013, Part D sponsors have been required to offer comprehensive medication reviews (CMRs) to all beneficiaries enrolled in their medication therapy management (MTM) programs at least annually, including those in long-term care (LTC) settings. Since that time, MTM providers have found that accessing and completing CMRs with beneficiaries is frequently prohibitively complex, since the process often requires a live, face-to-face interactive interview where the beneficiary resides."

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Omnicare, "However, with the migration of the CMR completion rate from a star ratings display measure to an active measure, coupled with the new CMR completion rate cutpoints for 2016, accessing this population for CMR completion has heightened importance. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Our proprietary consultant pharmacist (CP) software was programmed in 2012 to produce a cover letter, medication action plan, and personal medication list per CMS standardized format specifications. Using this system, CPs were trained to perform and document CMRs and the interactive interviews. MTM-eligible Part D beneficiaries, identified by several contracted clients as residing in LTC serviced by Omnicare, were provided CMRs and summaries written in CMS standardized format by CPs. Residents with cognitive impairment were identified using 3 data elements in the Minimum Data Set (MDS). OBSERVATIONS: In 2015, 7,935 MTM-eligible beneficiaries were identified as receiving medications from an Omnicare pharmacy. After excluding those who were disenrolled by their prescription drug plans, discharged from the LTC facility, or resided in a LTC facility no longer serviced by Omnicare, 5,593 residents were available for CMR completion. Of these, only 3% refused the CMR offer, and 5,392 CMRs (96%) were completed successfully. Thirty-nine percent of residents had cognitive impairment per MDS assessments; in those instances, CMRs were conducted with someone other than the beneficiary."

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: "Based on the CMRs and interactive interviews, 7,527 drug therapy problem recommendations were made to prescribers, about 50% of which resulted in an alteration in therapy, including reductions in polypharmacy and high-risk medications."

For more information on this research see: Comprehensive Medication Reviews in Long-term Care Facilities: History of Process Implementation and 2015 Results. Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy, 2017;23(1):22-26. Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy can be contacted at: Acad Managed Care Pharmacy, 100 N Pitt St, 400, Alexandria, VA 22314-3134, USA.

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting T.E. O'Shea, Omnicare, Cincinnati, OH, United States. Additional authors for this research include B.J. Zarowitz and W.G. Erwin.

Keywords for this news article include: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, North and Central America, Long-Term Care, Patient Care, Therapy, Omnicare.

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