In our quest to enhance population health outcomes, it becomes evident that at the heart of effective healthcare lies the critical mission of reducing and preventing medication errors. Defined as “any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm” by the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention, these errors permeate the medication-use system, posing a significant threat to patient safety. With the US Food and Drug Administration receiving over 10,000 reports yearly linked to suspected medication errors, the stakes are high, potentially resulting in grave outcomes like hospitalization, disability, or even loss of life.
Illustration is by Mike Werner
Despite tireless efforts to reduce medication errors, statistics reveal persistent challenges. Median error rates during medication administration in healthcare settings, including hospitals and long-term care facilities, fluctuate between 8% to 25%. This predicament is exacerbated by workforce shortages and a startling 18% attrition rate among healthcare workers since February 2020. The gravity of the situation compels us to delve into the pivotal role of medication management in patient care, spotlighting the imperative of embracing a comprehensive medication management software solution that achieves the following:
Medication Management: At its core, medication management software emerges as a multifaceted solution empowering healthcare providers, pharmacists, and care teams to navigate the intricate terrain of medication management with precision and efficiency. It ensures accurate patient medication lists, a critical safeguard against adverse reactions. By seamlessly integrating with health plans and health systems, it simplifies prescription pre-authorizations and medication fulfillment, forging a robust link in the healthcare continuum.
Medication Adherence: This software addresses the challenge of medication adherence head-on, emphasizing patients’ strict compliance with prescribed regimens. Non-adherence incurs health complications and substantial costs, estimated at a staggering $300 billion annually in the United States alone. Medication management software bridges this gap by identifying non-adherent patients, facilitating targeted interventions, and enhancing medication safety, culminating in superior health outcomes and population-wide cost savings.
Medication Therapy Management (MTM): Enacted by the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003, MTM represents a comprehensive strategy for optimizing medication use. It encompasses medication reviews, recommendations, and patient education to elevate health outcomes. Medication management software ensures individuals receive personalized medication reviews, recommendations, and interventions, translating to heightened adherence and reduced healthcare expenditures – all contributing to more effective patient care.
Unpacking the Complexity of Medication Management
Medication management encompasses medication reconciliation, medication therapy management, adherence monitoring, and drug utilization review, all centered on enhancing patient safety, curbing medication-related issues, and amplifying patient outcomes. The medication management landscape is laden with opportunities for errors spanning prescribing, data entry, preparation, dispensing, and patient or healthcare professional administration. A recent survey by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores revealed that nearly 24% of prescriptions necessitated interventions addressing concerns such as therapeutic duplication and drug-disease contraindications. The FDA’s vigilant MedWatch monitoring underscores the magnitude of the challenge and underscores the need for perpetual vigilance and innovative solutions.
The Future of Medication Management Technology is Bright
Modern platforms equip clinicians with the tools to document and review medication details, dosage information, prescribing physicians, and dispensing pharmacies. Medication reminder apps assist in regimen management, synchronizing data with patients’ electronic medical records (EMRs). These platforms notify providers of refill requirements or missed dosages, while advanced analytics enhance effectiveness, delivering personalized patient care at the precise moment of need.
Medication Management is a Value-based Care Necessity
With the evolving requirements of Medicare and Medicaid, health plans, providers, pharmacy benefit managers, and risk-bearing organizations must optimize medication management to avert drug interactions, misuse, and bolster adherence. Furthermore, medication management solutions are indispensable in the era of value-based healthcare and comprehensive population health management platforms like TruCare.
TruCare® Medication Management: TruCare Medication Management is an add-on module to our award-winning Population Health platform. Health tech professionals can harness this advanced technology to achieve enhanced patient outcomes while curbing rising healthcare costs. Key features include:
- 360-degree TruView: Offers comprehensive insights into a patient’s medication history, aiding in the identification of potential risks, drug interactions, and other medication-related challenges, enabling informed decisions about patient care.
- Program Enrollment: Streamlines patient enrollment into medication therapy management programs, ensuring tailored care addressing unique needs.
- Holistic Management: Beyond prescription drugs, catalog over-the-counter remedies, dietary supplements, and more for a complete view of a patient’s medication landscape.
- Diverse Capabilities: Offers functionalities like medication assessments, workflow updates, allergy management, quality measures data feeds, and more, including recommendations for cost-effective generic drug alternatives.
- Integration Options: Provides pre-built integration with relevant partner products, with options for enhanced utilization management.
- Operational Efficiency Through Automation: Streamlines program enrollment, medication adherence tracking, risk prevention, and predefined tasks, while optimizing operational efficiency with role-based dashboard pods, enhanced regimen data capture, and medication-based letter templates.
- Accessibility and Cost-effectiveness: Ensures top-tier care is accessible and cost-effective, particularly for demographics like older adults and individuals with chronic conditions.
Navigate the Future of Medication Management with Zyter|TruCare
As healthcare evolves, collaboration among stakeholders, including the FDA, healthcare providers, and technology companies, becomes paramount in the reduction of medication errors. TruCare Medication Management’s capability to streamline and optimize medication management practices emerges as a cornerstone in this collective journey.
To learn more about TruCare Medication Management and how it can elevate your healthcare delivery, visit our website, or contact our team of experts. Contact us today to take the first step toward transforming your population’s health outcomes. Together, let’s shape a brighter future for medication management and build happier, healthier lives.
