Principles of Medication Therapy

Principles of Medication Therapy
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Contents Introduction. 3 Points of Contact with Patients. 3 Inpatient 3 Outpatient 4 Community. 4 Technology. 4 Electronic Prescribing. 4 Telehealth. 5 Wearable technology. 5 Services. 5 Medication Reconciliation. 5 Medication Review.. 6 Adherence Counselling. 6 Outcomes. 7 Clinical Outcomes. 7 Economic Outcomes. 7 Patient-reported Outcomes. 7 Coaching and Support 7 Significance of Coaching and Support 7 Types of Coaching and Support 8 Public Health Awareness. 8 Conclusion. 9 References. 10
Introduction
Medication Therapy Management (MTM) implies a service aiming to maximize drug therapy and enhance patient health results. It entails a comprehensive medication management approach, including medication reconciliation, education, review, and patient follow-up and monitoring. According to the American Pharmacists Association (2005), MTM is an effective service that optimizes therapeutic results for specific patients. MTM entails unique services offered to augment therapeutic results for healthcare users. These services can be described as autonomous, although they happen in tandem with medication product delivery. It is impossible to overstate the significance of MTM in medical care. The utilization of various medications, regarded as polypharmacy, is common in most patients, especially older adults. This paper will explore the different contact points with patients where the delivery of MTM is possible, like community settings, inpatient, and outpatient. Moreover, the paper will evaluate the importance of pharmacists in MTM, technology utilization in medical administration, services like medication review and reconciliation, different outcomes, coaching and support, and public health awareness.
Points of Contact with Patients
Inpatient
Inpatient settings present an opportunity where pharmacists can join hands with other healthcare practitioners to optimize medication therapy. The settings enable them to review patient medication regimens, pinpoint drug-related issues, and recommend any medication changes (Ferries et al., 2019). Moreover, technology helps in improving medication safety and administration. For instance, barcode scanning technology ensures patients get the recommended medication adhering to dosage and time. However, it has been well established within the literature that patients act as a barrier to the effective execution of MTM due to unreasonable expectations and unfamiliarity with the service.
Outpatient
Importantly, outpatient settings entail pharmacies and clinics and present pharmacists with the opportunity to offer patients MTM services. Ferries et al. (2019) argue that medication reconciliation helps identify and resolve disparities of medication regimens in the setting. Moreover, pharmacists in the environment can utilize ETR to enhance medication reconciliation and enable them to access the histories of patients' medication. Furthermore, practitioners can monitor and follow up in the setting to ensure the patient's medication adherence and achievement of therapeutic goals.
Community
Community settings entail healthcare facilities and pharmacies and are avenues for pharmacists to educate patients about medication adherence and therapy (Hohmeier et al., 2019). Medication adherence is critical to successfully managing chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular conditions (Mubarak et al., 2019). Pharmacists play a fundamental role in educating patients concerning the significance of medical adherence and pointing out strategies for overcoming adherence challenges like side effects and costs. Mobile health technology, like tele-health services and applications, enhances medication adherence and patient results.
Technology
Electronic Prescribing
Electronic prescribing involves incorporating electronic technology in transmitting and generating medical prescriptions. This technology has become exceedingly common in the recent past, considering its various benefits, comprising enhanced medication safety, minimized errors, and improved efficiency (Ferreri et al., 2020). In the context of MTM, electronic prescribing is crucial in ensuring patients get the proper dosage and medication, thus minimizing the risks of negative drug scenarios. Electronic prescribing dispenses some problems, like the risk of errors and the urge for clinicians to change to new practices (Al-Tameemi & Sarriff, 2019).
Telehealth
Telehealth refers to utilizing technology to offer healthcare services remotely and has become an essential tool in MTM. According to Hohmeier et al. (2019), tele-health enables pharmacists to monitor their patients remotely and offer medication management services like counselling and review. This technology is specifically helpful in underserved or remote places with limited healthcare services. Moreover, tele-health enables the improvisation of patient convenience, enhances patient engagement, and reduces healthcare expenses (Tilton et al., 2018).
Wearable technology
Wearable technology entails fitness trackers and smart-watches and can help monitor patient health and offer essential data valid for MTM. For instance, wearable technology can help detect heart rate, physical activity levels, and blood pressure, which is vital in pointing out medication-related issues like adverse reactions and drug interactions. Also, wearable technology is essential in tracking patients' medication adherence, offering alarms and alerts when it is time.
Services
Medication Reconciliation
Medication reconciliation refers to comparing a patient's medication orders and all the patient's current medications to pinpoint and resolve any discrepancies. It is a significant element of MTM since it helps patients receive the proper dosage and medication. The process of medication reconciliation involves attaining extensive medication history, comparing medications' history and the current medication orders, and solving any disparities (Ferreri et al., 2020).
Medication Review
Medication review entails extensive examination of the patient's medication regimen to identify drug-related issues, like adverse drug reactions, interactions, and non-adherence. According to Wang et al. (2021), there are different kinds of medication reviews, like structured, comprehensive, and targeted ones. Tilton et al. (2018) posit that a structured medication review is an approach to the medication review based on a checklist, while a comprehensive medication review entails extensively assessing a patient's medication regimen. On the other hand, targeted medication review emphasizes specific issues related to medication, like medication non-adherence. The concept of medication review is an integral element of MTM since it optimizes medication therapy and enhances pa...