Authors' objectives: To describe intervention components and implementation features (Key Question [KQ]1) for outpatient medication therapy management (MTM) interventions with comprehensive medication review, followup, education, and care coordination; assess the effectiveness of these MTM interventions on intermediate, patient-centered, or resource utilization outcomes (KQ 2); identify intervention features (KQ 3) and patient characteristics (KQ 4) that moderate the effect of an intervention on outcomes; and assess harms associated with interventions (KQ 5).

Authors' recommendations: The evidence base offers low evidence of benefit for a limited number of intermediate and health utilization outcomes. We graded the evidence as insufficient for most other outcomes because of inconsistency in direction, magnitude, and precision, rather than lack of evidence. Wide variations in populations and interventions, both within and across studies, ixlikely explain these inconsistencies. Given the widespread implementation of MTM and urgent need for actionable information, optimal investments in new research require a process of research prioritization in which the value of information from each proposed study is carefully considered. Studies designed to identify causal relationships between MTM interventions and their outcomes require adequate controls for confounding but may offer limited information on the factors that explain program success or failure. Studies designed to explore the reasons for program success or failure using qualitative or single-arm designs may offer hypothesesgenerating rather than hypotheses-confirming insights on MTM effectiveness. New research, regardless of specific focus, will likely continue to find inconsistent results until underlying sources of heterogeneity are accounted for.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2014

URL for published report: http://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/ehc/products/516/2002/medication-therapy-management-report-141114.pdf

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: United States

Organisation Name: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Contact Address: Center for Outcomes and Evidence Technology Assessment Program, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. Tel: +1 301 427 1610; Fax: +1 301 427 1639;

Contact Name: martin.erlichman@ahrq.hhs.gov

Contact Email: martin.erlichman@ahrq.hhs.gov

Copyright: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)