Developing Medication Therapy Management Training for Community Health Professionals Serving Low-Income Patients

BackgroundEach year, medication-related adverse events account for over 1 million emergency department visits according to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Medication therapy management (MTM), a service most commonly performed by health professionals, identifies and resolves medication-related problems and has been shown to both reduce healthcare costs and improve clinical outcomes. Objective: The objective of our project was to expand the use of MTM by developing a training program for health professionals to increase medication adherence for low-income patients at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) specifically targeting individuals with hypertension and diabetes. Methods: A needs assessment survey was developed and administered to licensed pharmacists across the state of Florida. Based on the results of the survey, an MTM training program was developed to support pharmacists who serve patients with hypertension and diabetes. The second phase included a pre-assessment administered to the FQHC. The training program was modified based on responses to the pre-assessment. Results: Based on the FQHC pre-assessment, the team developed MTM support training for health professionals that included 7 modules. These modules were Principles of Chronic Disease Self-Management, Team-Based Care, Client Self-Advocacy, Health Equity, Cultural Competency, Social Determinants of Health, and the Benefits of MTM Services. Conclusion: Expanding MTM support training to other health professionals is expected to provide greater access to chronic disease management support, improve patient outcomes and reduce the cost of care for patients. It is also expected over time to reduce the demand for additional chronic disease-related services.