Medication therapy management services in North Carolina community pharmacies: current practice patterns and projected demand.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the types of cognitive services offered and the number of patients being served in community pharmacies, determine the number of pharmacies that plan to offer medication therapy management (MTM) services under the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit, and assess whether current and expected practices will meet the potential needs of enrollees.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
North Carolina in January 2005.


METHODS
1,593 community pharmacy managers.


METHODS
Survey using a Web-based tool.


METHODS
Provision of cognitive services and number of patients for whom services are provided.


RESULTS
A total of 262 (16%) pharmacy managers provided usable responses. Approximately 42% of respondents (n = 110) indicated that they provide some type of cognitive service. Comprehensive MTM services, or services consistent with the professionwide consensus definition, were provided by 31% of respondents (n = 81). Independent pharmacies were more likely to offer some type of service compared with chain pharmacies (58% versus 31%, respectively; P < .001). Pharmacy managers with a doctor of pharmacy degree were less likely than pharmacy managers with a bachelor's degree to offer services in their pharmacies (P = .02), and pharmacies with pharmacists on staff who had received certificate training were more likely to offer cognitive services (P = .03). Of all respondents, 28% (n = 73) indicated that they planned to offer MTM services under the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit.


CONCLUSIONS
Comparing these results with those of a 1999 survey of North Carolina pharmacists that used some of the same items, the percentage of community pharmacies that provide cognitive services has increased in the intervening years but remains low. Among the services being offered in 2005, most were focused on patient education and training, coordinating and integrating care, and medication regimen reviews. Implementation of MTM services under the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit should hasten the development and offering of these services in community pharmacies.
Hansen
Richard A
RA
School of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Campus Box 7360, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. rahansen@unc.edu
Roth
Mary T
MT
Brouwer
Emily S
ES
Herndon
Susan
S
Christensen
Dale B
DB
D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007356:Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D006278:Medicare / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration; D009657:North Carolina; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010593:Pharmaceutical Services / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D010594:Pharmacies / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D024382:Professional Role; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States