Ready, willing, and able to provide MTM services?: A survey of community pharmacists in the USA

BackgroundChanges in US Medicare legislation could benefit pharmacy's attempt to make medication therapy management (MTM) practice more commonplace; however, little is known about pharmacists' capabilities and preferences to do so.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to explore US pharmacists' perceived preparedness, willingness, and challenges toward providing MTM services.MethodsA brief purpose of the survey and its website link were included in the electronic weekly newsletter of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) in January 2007. The web-based survey consisted of 8 demographic questions, 8 questions examining preparedness and willingness of the respondents regarding MTM, 2 questions regarding reimbursement to pharmacists, and 2 checklists for challenges in establishing MTM services.ResultsMost of the 143 respondents indicated that they were aware of MTM, and 92 (65%) reported that they were currently practicing MTM. A majority of the sample agreed that pharmacists should provide MTM and have the ability to do so. Major challenges reported by the sample include the different specification of MTM by each health plan, time, staffing, and reimbursement issues. Respondents selected valid measures of program effectiveness but revealed that they needed help with documentation and billing. Expected reimbursement range was $1-10/minute.ConclusionCommunity independent pharmacists reported being ready, willing, and able to provide MTM services, but need assistance in the process, that is, standardized MTM protocols, documentation and billing.