Legislation would expand Medicare beneficiaries' access to MTM services

WASHINGTON — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association hailed the Senate’s introduction of legislation that would expand Medicare recipients’ access to medication therapy management (MTM) services.

The Medication Therapy Management Empowerment Act of 2015 (S. 776) — introduced Wednesday by Sens. Pat Roberts (R., Kan.), Jeanne Shaheen (D., N.H.), Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio), and Mark Kirk (R., Ill.) — would amend The Social Security Act to allow Medicare Part D beneficiaries to become eligible for MTM services if they suffer from a single chronic condition that has been shown to respond well to improved medication adherence, resulting in better health outcomes and reduced overall medical costs.

“MTM is an important tool in the pharmacists’ tool box for many patients but especially for those suffering from chronic conditions,” Roberts said in a statement. “The Medication Therapy Management Empowerment Act gives patients access to valuable counseling and management for their conditions and takes the essential steps to guarantee what we already know: that MTM will save the system money while providing higher-quality care for patients. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.”

Specifically, the bill would provide access to MTM services for Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and high cholesterol.

“Our bipartisan bill has the potential to improve care for seniors who need it the most while also reducing health care costs for our system as a whole,” stated Shaheen. “Providing seniors with better access to counseling when it comes to the safe and proper use of their medication should be a matter of commonsense. It will make sure seniors are not only taking their medications properly but does so in a way that lowers health care costs.”

There’s a compelling body of research indicating that medication adherence improves patient health outcomes and reins in medical costs and that MTM improves medication compliance, according to NACDS and NCPA.

“The evidence is mounting of the positive impact of MTM on patient health. Innovative pharmacist-provided services such as MTM are important tools in improving medication adherence, patient health and healthcare affordability,” commented NACDS president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson.  “We commend the leadership of Sens. Roberts, Shaheen, Brown and Kirk for their leadership in proposing this commonsense, bipartisan legislation that can help Medicare patients with chronic conditions understand the importance of taking their medications as prescribed, and help manage and improve their health.”

Specific research has shown MTM’s benefits for patients with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, COPD and high cholesterol, the two pharmacy industry groups noted.

“As medication experts, community pharmacists are critical to helping patients stick with and get the most out of their prescription drugs. Yet so much more can be done to improve medication adherence and achieve better health outcomes at lower overall costs,” NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey stated. “That is where MTM services can play a vital role, and it is why NCPA strongly supports this bipartisan legislation. S. 776 would expand MTM eligibility to Medicare beneficiaries with cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hyperlipidemia or diabetes.”