Drug Safety

As part of a contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Stratis Health offers quality improvement assistance to decrease the rates of drug on drug interactions and potentially inappropriate medications prescribed in the elderly. Information, resources, tools, and guidance on quality improvement methods is offered to Medicare providers (including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, home health agencies), practitioners, Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans (MAPDs), and Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs).

In December 2003, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act was signed into law. The law provides for prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries, similar to most other health insurance plans, and covers the cost of prescription drugs. Medicare beneficiaries must choose a Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) to get coverage. If they belong to a Medicare Advantage or other Medicare Health Plan, that plan may offer a prescription drug component as part of their plan (these organizations are known as Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug, or MA-PD, plans). As with most other insurance plans, each year an annual re-enrollment period occurs, during which time Medicare beneficiaries may change their coverage.

The Medicare Modernization Act requires PDPs and MA-PDs administering Part D to offer or provide medication therapy management services. These services may include:

• Performing or obtaining necessary assessments of the patient's health status
• Formulating a medication treatment plan
• Selecting, initiating, modifying, or administering medication therapy
• Monitoring and evaluating the patient's response to therapy, including safety and effectiveness
• Performing a comprehensive medication review to identify, resolve, and prevent medication-related problems, including drug on drug interactions, potentially inappropriate medications, and adverse drug events
• Documenting the care delivered and communicating essential information to the patient's other primary care providers
• Providing verbal education and training designed to enhance patient understanding and appropriate use of medications
• Providing information, support services, and resources designed to enhance patient adherence with therapeutic regimens
• Coordinating and integrating MTM services within the broader health care management services being provided to the patient
  

Contact Stratis Health for assistance with your quality improvement and patient safety needs.

If your organization has projects it would like to work on, contact us to discuss how we can work together to support drug safety.

Vicki Olson, program manager

952-853-8554