New version encourages collaboration and communication among health care professionals

San Diego, Calif. – The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) today launched Medication Therapy Management in Pharmacy Practice: Core Elements of an MTM Service Model Version 2.0 at APhA's Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Diego, California.

To view Version 2.0, please visit the NACDS Foundation website at: http://www.nacdsfoundation.org or APhA's website at: http://www.pharmacist.com/mtm/CoreElements2.

The joint initiative, designed to help improve medication therapy outcomes and provide value within our nation's healthcare system, includes five core elements which provide a framework for the delivery of MTM services in pharmacy practice:

• Medication therapy review (MTR)
• Personal medication record (PMR)
• Medication-related action plan (MAP)
• Intervention and/or referral
• Documentation and follow-up

APhA and the NACDS Foundation have a long-standing commitment to educating pharmacists on medication therapy management (MTM) services and support the value of MTM services to patient care. According to one estimate, more than 1.5 million preventable medication-related adverse events occur each year in the U.S., accounting for costs of more than $177 billion annually for emergency and catastrophic health care services. MTM services can reduce medication related adverse events.

Eleven national pharmacy organizations collaboratively defined “medication therapy management” in July 2004. Working together, the NACDS Foundation and APhA developed a model framework for implementing effective MTM services in community pharmacy. As a result, Medication Therapy Management in Community Pharmacy Practice: Core Elements of an MTM Service Version 1.0 was launched in 2005.

The 2008 update, Version 2.0, includes an effort to broaden the applicability across pharmacy practice settings. The new version places an increased emphasis on the patient's role in medication self management, the importance of transitions of care and collaboration between members of the healthcare team. Version 2.0 is supported by the following organizations: American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, the American College of Apothecaries, the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations and the National Community Pharmacists Association.

“We are pleased to partner with APhA on this critical initiative to help empower patients and improve communications between pharmacists and health care professionals,” said NACDS Foundation Chairman and NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE. “These MTM core elements provide a framework for collaboration and implementation of quality care that can promote safe and effective medication use and improve patient outcomes across the health care system.”

“Version 2.0 focuses on the provision of medication therapy management services in settings where patients or their caregivers can be actively involved in managing their medications,” said APhA Executive Vice President and CEO John A. Gans, PharmD. “These Core Elements represent a common thread for services across practice settings that embrace collaboration between health care professionals and promote continuity of care for the patient. Working with NACDS and other supporting organizations we will be able to take this service model to the next level.”