Can Pharmacists Optimize Your Care?

Pharmacists are often overlooked as a powerful resource in healthcare. Doctors are the individuals who treat patients and recommend ongoing therapy, including prescription medication. Pharmacists are sometimes seen only as the dispensing agents of these medications. For many patients, a pharmacist can be much more than the location to refill prescriptions. Patients are expected to use and manage these medications, but this can be difficult. Pharmacies can use medication therapy management (MTM) as an effective resource to help patients. With MTM, pharmacies ensure patients get optimal care. Patients often see pharmacists more than doctors. Leveraging MTM is a great way to improve the effectiveness of pharmaceutical treatment.

Understanding MTM

MTM is a series of services pharmacists provide to ensure patients get the highest possible benefits from prescription medication use. This process ensures that a skilled expert provides information, resources, and support for patients who use prescription medication consistently. MTM periodically reassesses medications and guides patients to ensure the prescribed solution meets the patient’s needs. Effective management also improves efficiency and simplifies what can be a complex process. MTM is useful for patients managing chronic conditions or those involved in detailed treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF). The right MTM can improve health outcomes and even limit future hospital visits for those managing chronic disease.

A powerful medication review

At the center of MTM is a medication review. This is a meeting that allows a pharmacist to assess all medications, supplements, and therapies to ensure patients are getting the desired results. The patient will bring all prescriptions and supplements to the pharmacist for a simple consultation. This meeting allows pharmacists to spot drug interactions, duplications, or unnecessary medicines. Some patients may be taking duplicate medications or need to stop particular treatments. Pharmacists may detect unwanted drug interactions with supplements or foods that are impacting treatment. During the review, the pharmacist can recommend alternative supplements and suggest stopping or starting particular medicines. At the end of the review is an up-to-date record and action plan, so patients take medicine that is effective with minimal side effects.

Ongoing monitoring and support

MTM does not stop at a medication review. This is an ongoing record that is consistently updated and adjusted based on changing lifestyles and needs. The patient can reach out to the pharmacist to report changes, who is sometimes more available than the doctor. With MTM, the pharmacy may have resources to track initial responses, including glucose monitoring and blood pressure readings. The pharmacist can then speak with the doctor to report issues or recommend changes. Patients receive an additional advocate for long-term health and well-being. For patients with multiple prescriptions, MTM can align medicines into a single pickup process. Filling multiple medications at different times each month can be a waste of time and money. MTM can adjust prescriptions so that all are filled on the same date. This simple change can be convenient for patients, taking the additional effort out of medication management.

Benefits to your health

Patients who choose MTM instead of managing prescriptions alone notice many benefits. Adherence improves as patients can get medication that suits individual needs. Side effects are not ignored but immediately acted upon to ensure patients are comfortable. There are fewer side effects, reduced use of unnecessary drugs, decreased dependency, and more efficiency. With the right medication, MTM helps more patients reach targets like healthy blood pressure or glucose. MTM is also useful for patients who require multiple medications. Polypharmacy can be challenging, especially for older patients. MTM ensures medicines are aligned or even recommends compounding, which combines similar or complementary drugs into a single-use option.

Let your pharmacist help

Patients often feel overwhelmed or confused about medications, which can lead to inconsistent outcomes. Patients who want to optimize the medication routine. can look no further than the pharmacist. With MTM, patients will take the right medicine at the right time. The pharmacist can provide support and resources to ensure consistent care with minimal side effects. MTM starts with a simple visit for a medication review. From there, the pharmacy can create a plan to work with doctors for optimal care and quality of life.