Medication Therapy Management Center

The college launched the Medication Therapy Management Center as part of its move to a new facility in the heart of the Medical University of South Carolina campus. The new space offered an ideal area for an MTM Center with many benefits. The MTM Center:

• Provides highly innovative practice that MUSC students can experience first-hand
• Increases patient satisfaction and pharmacist's job satisfaction
• Offers research opportunities for pharmacists and students
• Creates additional revenue to invest in the pharmacy program

What is Medication Therapy Management (MTM)?

Medication Therapy Management is a service provided by pharmacists aimed at optimizing drug therapy and improving therapeutic outcomes for patients. MTM includes a range of professional activities such as performing patient assessments, conducting comprehensive medication reviews (CMRs), formulating medication treatment plans, monitoring medication efficacy and safety, and enhancing medication adherence through patient education.

MTM and MUSC Pharmacy Students

MUSC pharmacy students have an opportunity to get real-world MTM experience that will benefit them in their pharmacy careers. Working in the MTM Center offers several benefits:

1. Practical Experience: Students gain hands-on experience in patient care, learning how to conduct medication reviews, identify drug-related problems, and develop treatment plans.
2. Enhanced Clinical Skills: Engaging in MTM helps students improve their clinical decision-making and communication skills, which are crucial for their future careers as pharmacists.
3. Patient Interaction: Students can interact directly with patients, which helps build their confidence and ability to manage patient relationships effectively.
4. Interprofessional Collaboration: Working in the MTM Center can include collaboration with other healthcare professionals, providing students with a broader understanding of integrated patient care.
5. Professional Development: Participation in MTM activities can enhance a student's resume and provide valuable networking opportunities within the healthcare field.
   The MUSC MTM Center serves as an excellent training ground for pharmacy students, preparing them for a successful career in pharmacy practice.

MTM Center

A pharmacist-run clinical contact center focused on delivering innovative medication therapy management services. This tele-pharmacy program contracts with Medicare programs, commercial insurers, and Pharmacy Business Managers (PBMs) to focus on optimizing treatment outcomes by enhancing medication adherence, safety, and treatment options, and reducing costs. The program primarily focuses on providing medication therapy management services to patients with chronic disease, including but not limited to asthma, diabetes, COPD, CHF, hypertension, and dyslipidemia.

Patients will be given a comprehensive medication history including OTC and herbal preparations. This will identify any drug therapy problems that need to be corrected. Clinicians will use Epic to obtain and review clinical data to enhance and improve this encounter and to recommend sound recommendations or interventions to the Medical Providers.

All chronic disease will be explored to assess patient's current level of knowledge of the disease. Patient and clinician will mutually agree upon a care plan, goals, and determine next follow-up visit(s).

Mission

To provide comprehensive medication therapy management services that will reduce drug therapy problems and educate the patient on their medications and disease states, and work towards mutually agreed upon goals so that the patient can succeed in managing their chronic condition(s).

Vision

To achieve the quadruple aim by improving clinical outcomes, lowering healthcare costs, improving patient access and experience, and improving clinician education and clinical practice.

MTM Services

Medication Therapy Management is a distinct service or group of services that optimize therapeutic outcomes for individual patients. Medication Therapy Management encompasses a broad range of professional activities and responsibilities within the licensed pharmacists, or other qualified health care provider's, scope of practice.

Examples of MTM provided by pharmacists or other healthcare professionals may include the following:

• Performing or obtaining necessary assessments of the patient's health status
• Formulating a medication treatment plan.
• Selecting, initiating, modifying, or administering medication therapy.
• Monitoring and evaluating the patient's response to therapy, including safety and effectiveness.
• Performing a comprehensive medication review to identify, resolve, and prevent medication-related problems, including adverse drug events.
• Documenting the care delivered and communicating essential information to the patient's other primary care providers.
• Providing verbal education and training designed to enhance patient understanding and appropriate use of medications.
• Providing information, support services, and resources designed to enhance patient adherence with therapeutic regimen.
• Coordinating and integrating medication therapy management services within the broader health care management services being provided to the patient.

MTM Pharmacists

Rosalind Chorak, '94

Rosalind Chorak, '94, director of community pharmacy programs, oversees both the MTM Center and an emerging initiative to start an international travel vaccine clinic. She returned to MUSC in 2020, after building a successful entrepreneurial undertaking as owner/PIC (pharmacist-in-charge) of ApotheCorp Pharmacy and founder of CareOneTeam. She has overseen significant growth in the MUSC Family Medicine Pharmacy as pharmacist-in-charge.

Rory Thomas, '22

Rory Thomas, '22, entered the pharmacy field as a proven entrepreneur. In 2004, he founded My Wellness Mentor, an online health and wellness business he ran successfully until starting his pharmacy career. Before joining the MTM Center, he served as a clinical pharmacist fellow for McLeod Health, a clinical pharmacist for the Avant Institute, and a population health specialist at Moose Pharmacy and Medi-Code.