Medication Therapy Management Program Expands as New University Employee Benefit

Based on its success as a pilot in Duluth, eligible employees and dependents enrolled in the University’s health plan, UPlan, now have access to a new Medication Therapy Management (MTM) benefit.

Through a face-to-face assessment, UPlan network pharmacists work with eligible members and their physicians or other caregivers to establish and achieve drug therapy treatment goals, avoid or minimize undesirable medication effects, and improve clinical outcomes. MTM services are provided at no cost to UPlan members taking four or more UPlan covered prescription and over-the-counter medications for chronic conditions. Participating members who meet program requirements are eligible for an $8 per prescription reduction of their copays.

Randy Seifert, senior associate dean and professor, initially proposed the MTM pilot as a benefit for Duluth-based employees. With support from Greg Fox, UMD vice chancellor, Seifert worked with colleagues to launch the MTM pilot in November 2007. Recently, the University’s Advisory Work Group, led by Frank Cerra, MD, senior vice president for health sciences, approved the University-wide expansion.

“In the Duluth pilot, we have identified an average of three to four drug therapy problems per person served,” explained Seifert. “In addition, the communication with the patients’ physicians has been collaborative and well-received.”

The concept of MTM has existed since the early 1990s and has been a standard of care in pharmacy curriculums since the mid-1990s, according to Stephen Schondelmeyer, professor and Century Mortar Club endowed chair. “We have demonstrated through various studies at the University that MTM does affect health care quality and costs,” said Schondelmeyer. “Employers are interested in offering MTM services for employees. We envision that this new network of pharmacists could contract with other employers across Minnesota to offer MTM. Eventually, there is potential to create a national network.”

Sarah Westberg, assistant professor and MTM network manager for UPlan, said that positive feedback from the Duluth pilot helped the University to make the leap to offer the MTM program to all UPlan members University-wide. Potentially 13,000 out of the approximately 37,000 UPlan members, about one-third of the total enrollees, are likely to qualify for the program.

“We know that pharmacists providing MTM help to improve patient outcomes by optimizing medication use,” said Westberg. “We also want to ensure that all eligible UPlan members have access to an MTM pharmacist in a geographically convenient location. The University has shown exciting leadership in expanding MTM services.”

The expansion is a sign of the growing importance of MTM in the pharmacy profession. “What we’re building is a whole new practice for pharmacists on a global scale,” said Seifert. “It could become the primary part of pharmacy practice in the future, much more than distribution services.”

Schondelmeyer sees the MTM program expansion as an official commitment of the University to provide a high-quality benefit to employees—and as a wise investment in the health of employees, dependents and other UPlan members. “We expect a solid return on investment that will reduce costs and increase the quality of care,” he said.

Learn More

For more information on the UPlan MTM Benefit Design, including how to become an MTM pharmacist in this network, please contact the UPlan MTM Benefit Program at 612-625-0001.

Learn more about the UPlan MTM benefit at http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/benefits/pharmacy/mtm/index.html