Comment on medication management models and other pharmacist interventions: implications for policy and practice

Implementation of the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003 poses challenges for policy makers and administrators, not the least of which is a provision that high-risk or targeted beneficiaries receive Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Services. To ensure that Congressional intent is carried out when Medicare Part D goes into effect in January 2006, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is responsible for issuing regulations to operationalize MTM Services. This article comments on the policy and practice implications of providing such services, including recommendations of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP) and presents findings from the Medication Management Model and other community-based Pharmacist-centered interventions as examples of solutions to improve medication management and prevent medication-related problems in Medicare beneficiaries.