Evaluation of pharmacist-provided medication therapy management services in an oncology ambulatory setting

To determine the effect of formal medication therapy management (MTM) services on pharmacist workload, as well as to describe the population receiving MTM, describe the services provided, and determine the reimbursement rate for billed MTM services.

MTM Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code claims, electronic medical records, and pharmacist MTM logs.

A retrospective review of all MTM charges from January 1, 2010, to March 31, 2010, was performed. Data collected included location of the MTM visit, age, gender, insurance, primary malignancy, comorbidities, home medications, time to complete and document the MTM visit, and rate of reimbursement.

In the 3-month period, 239 MTM visits were completed. It took pharmacists a median of 20 minutes (range 15-127) of face-to-face time and 18 minutes (5-90) for documentation per visit. To date, no claims for MTM have been rejected, and reimbursement rates range from 47% to 79% depending on the insurance provider.

MTM in the ambulatory clinic is feasible despite the increase in pharmacist workload from documenting and billing. The increased visibility of clinical pharmacy services justifies the extra time required for formal MTM.