As you age, taking new medications may become part of your daily life. It is important to know the effects these medications have on your body, how to properly take them, and any problems they may cause. With a busy life, it might be hard to find resources dedicated to educating you on your medications. Thankfully, you can get the education you need through a Medication Therapy Management program.
When you enroll in Medicare, you can choose to enroll in Medicare Part D (Prescription Drug Coverage). Once enrolled in Part D, you can find a list of prescription drugs covered by Part D in a Medicare Part D Formulary, or Medicare drug list. From this drug list, you and your doctor can decide the proper route of treatment for your medical needs.
After you determine a treatment plan with your doctor, you may be eligible to receive free services through a Medication Therapy Management (MTM) program. Through an MTM program, you will receive a comprehensive medication review to ensure the medications you are taking work to improve your health.
Your local pharmacist or health care professional can provide these services for you. If you are eligible and they provide this service, you will be able to sign up through them.
Am I Eligible for a Medication Therapy Management Program?
You are eligible for a Medication Therapy Management program if you take many medications for more than one chronic health condition. As long as you enroll in Part D and meet this requirement, contact your drug plan to confirm your eligibility. Once your plan confirms that you are eligible, you can schedule and receive your comprehensive medication review.
During this comprehensive medication review, you and your health care provider will discuss:
How well your medications are working
Side effects of your medications
Potential interactions between drugs you are taking
If your medication costs can decrease
Any other problems you are experiencing
After this process, you will receive a written document summarizing your medication review from your health care provider. This document will include their recommendations and describe any changes they believe would make your medications more effective. You will also get a personalized medication list that details all the medications you take and why you take them. This medication list is useful in any situation when you may need to present the medications you’re taking. This allows you to get the proper treatment in places such as an emergency room.
Note: You are still eligible to participate in a Medication Therapy Management program even if you are currently in a Long Term Care facility. Because these facilities already offer a monthly drug regimen review (DRR), there will be some overlap in the Medication Therapy Management program and the DRR. This overlap will not cause any problems.
When Should I Sign Up for Medication Therapy Managmement?
As soon as you contact your Part D plan and verify your eligibility, it is recommended that you enroll in a Medication Therapy Management program if you feel it is right for you. This allows for as much time as possible to receive the most out of your medications. There is, however, no penalty if you want to sign up later in your life.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires every Part D sponsor to provide a Medication Therapy Management program for patients. The CMS reviews the program descriptions each year to ensure that whenever you sign up, you are getting the highest benefit from the program and from your medications.