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Novel Missouri MTM Program Benefits Patients, Pharmacists

Jul 17, 2013
DC Pro is a feature of the MO HealthNet Medicaid program.

DC Pro is a feature of the MO HealthNet Medicaid program.

A NEW FEATURE OF MISSOURI’S MEDICAID PROGRAM is drawing admiration from health care experts around the country for its ability to bring pharmacists and patients together.

The program in question—Direct Care Pro (DCPro)—provides pharmacists with a database of patients in their area who are eligible for medication therapy management (MTM) and other cognitive therapies.

Gloria Sachdev, Pharm.D., a clinical assistant professor, primary care, at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., and director-at-large of ASHP’s Executive Committee for the Section of Ambulatory Care Practitioners, is one of the program’s admirers.

​“I would love Indiana to one day have the IT infrastructure in place to provide MTM like Missouri does,” she said, calling DCPro “an amazing example of how to operationalize MTM services in a streamlined manner.”

Gloria Sachdev, Pharm.D.

Gloria Sachdev, Pharm.D.

Pharmacists under the Missouri program receive direct reimbursement as health care providers, and a variety of conditions are covered, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, gastroesophageal reflux disease, heart failure, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.

“The number of covered conditions is constantly expanding,” according to Sandra Bollinger, Pharm.D., provider outreach coordinator with Xerox, which manages MO HealthNet. She added that only a handful of states allow pharmacists to bill directly to their Medicaid programs as health care providers.

Helping Patients During Care Transitions

The program is an excellent example of how pharmacists can help patients during transitions of care, according to Justine Coffey, JD, LLM, director of ASHP’s Section of Ambulatory Care Practitioners.

“It’s a great model because it ensures that patients receive the care they need once they leave the hospital and are back in the community setting,” Coffey said, noting that patients receive better care when pharmacists are involved in medication management decisions.

“This program provides both an opportunity for better patient care and new opportunities to advance ambulatory pharmacy practice.”

Opportunities for Intervention

Pharmacists who are registered with MO HealthNet can log into the DCPro system and view a list of all patients who are eligible for cognitive services. The information is based on gaps in Medicaid claims that would have been filed had the patient been keeping up with their care for a particular disease state.

Next, pharmacists select which patients they want to assist and then “reserve” an intervention (many patients are eligible for multiple interventions). They then contact patients and arrange face-to-face consultations. Interventions can take place in outpatient clinics, patients’ homes, or in areas of community pharmacies that are designated for patient care. Once reserved, an intervention must be completed within 30 days or the patient is released back into the database.

For example, consider an MO HealthNet patient who has diabetes, but has not had an A1C blood test for more than 90 days. The MO HealthNet system will detect that a claim for the test has not been filed.

Based on that care gap, the system automatically adds that patient’s name and flags the intervention for which the patient is overdue. A pharmacist seeing the information can provide the test as well as additional counseling.

During an intervention, DCPro guides the pharmacist through questions that must be answered before it allows users to move to the next topic. It also fills in progress notes and submits the billing automatically once an intervention is complete.

Reimbursement (which is based on the amount of time spent with the patient rather than the nature of the intervention) is calculated in 15-minute increments. Payment ranges from $10-$20 per 15-minute period with a one-hour maximum per intervention. There is no limit on the number of intervention hours a pharmacist can bill annually.

“Pharmacists who use the system don’t have to keep their own records regarding which patients are eligible. They can just log in to see a complete list of all eligible patients in their area,” said Dr. Bollinger. The system also handles all recordkeeping and billing.

Justin May, Pharm.D.

Justin May, Pharm.D.

Utilizing Program Results to Increase Pharmacist Reimbursement

Pharmacists at Red Cross Pharmacy’s 15 locations regularly check DCPro for any pending MTM and cognitive therapy claims, said Justin May, Pharm.D., director of pharmacy with the chain, based in Marshall, MO.

“Ideally, we use the system as part of our adherence program,” he explained. “A pharmacist takes a look at a patient’s medications five to seven days before the prescriptions are filled and identifies patients who require cognitive services. Then, they set up intervention times. When patients come in to pick up their prescriptions, we sit down with them to conduct the interventions for whatever health issues are indicated.”

Chuck Termini, B.S. Pharm., RPh, a hospital staff pharmacist and independent clinical pharmacist in Kansas City, MO, connects with many of his MO HealthNet patients through referrals from nursing homes and community pharmacies, who contract with him to provide cognitive services. But he also mines the database for additional interventions.

“I almost always find patients who need help,” Termini said, estimating that he interacts with about 60 MO HealthNet patients each month.

Although pharmacist enrollment in the system has been slow to catch on, Dr. Bollinger is optimistic that the numbers will grow as pharmacists learn of these new opportunities for patient intervention and care.

“My goal is to get every pharmacist in the state enrolled,” she said, adding that growing enrollment will help her make a case to state legislators to increase reimbursement rates. “It may take a little time, but I’m confident they will increase eventually.”

Dr. Bollinger also said that MO HealthNet has been able to demonstrate cost savings resulting from decreased emergency room visits and hospitalizations among patients who participated in the program.

“This is a huge opportunity for health-system pharmacists who can get past the idea that the business comes to them, because it doesn’t,” said Termini. “You have to be proactive in assisting patients.”

–By Steve Frandzel

           

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