ASHP Pushes for Medication Review for All Part D Patients

3/13/2009

All Medicare beneficiaries should receive an annual medication review and assessment as part of their Part D coverage, ASHP recently told officials at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The agency is seeking input on proposed changes to requirements for medication therapy management programs (MTM) offered to Medicare Part D beneficiaries.

The Society urged CMS to require that Part D plans offer all Medicare beneficiaries an annual review of their medications as a strategy to improve adherence and reduce adverse drug events and duplicative prescribing. Currently only beneficiaries who are eligible for MTM services receive a medication review. 

ASHP’s comments also noted that medical need should be the standard for eligibility for MTM services and expressed support for outcomes reporting based on beneficiary health instead of utilization of services and cost savings.

Read ASHP’s comments to CMS here.