Evaluating satisfaction with pharmacist-provided MTM services in a Medicaid population

Optimizing patient outcomes is a goal for medication therapy management (MTM) programs, with patient satisfaction representing a valuable measure to provide information about pharmacist-delivered services and the overall effectiveness of the program. The objective of this study was to assess patient satisfaction after engaging in a telephonic comprehensive medication review (CMR) with a pharmacist in a Medicaid population.

This was a retrospective cohort study.

A quality assurance component of the MTM program was incorporated as a survey evaluating patient satisfaction. Three questions were administered at the conclusion of the CMR, with 2 questions conducted during a follow-up review. Of the 5 total questions, 2 were open response, 1 used a 5-point Likert scale, and 2 were yes/no questions.

Response rates of 93.0% and 53.5% for the first and second halves of the survey, respectively, were achieved. Seventy-eight percent of patients indicated satisfaction with the MTM program, 63.5% reported that the medication review was helpful, and 80% reported experiencing a very good level of care. In addition, 59% found the patient takeaway documents received after the CMR to be helpful and 81% felt they had a better understanding of their medications. A subgroup analysis found that of the patients who reported feeling that the CMR was helpful, 66% were taking 7 or more medications.

Overall, Medicaid patients in this study were very satisfied with the telephonic MTM services provided and found the information relayed during the conversation with the pharmacist to be helpful. Further studies are recommended to confirm these findings.