Comprehensive Medication Review: What Techs Should Know

Understanding the Comprehensive Medication Review

A comprehensive medication review (CMR) is the cornerstone of medication therapy management. It involves an interactive, person-to-person consultation between a pharmacist and a patient to review all of the patient's medications and health conditions. For pharmacy technicians preparing for the PTCB exam, understanding the CMR process and your supporting role is essential.

The CMR Process Step by Step

A comprehensive medication review follows a structured process:

1. Patient identification and scheduling: The pharmacy identifies eligible patients through insurance data, prescription history, or referrals. Pharmacy technicians often handle this step.
2. Information gathering: Before the review, the technician collects the patient's current medication list, including prescriptions, OTC medications, vitamins, supplements, and herbal products.
3. Face-to-face or telephonic consultation: The pharmacist conducts the review with the patient, discussing each medication's purpose, dosing, and potential issues.
4. Problem identification: The pharmacist identifies medication-related problems such as duplicate therapies, drug interactions, untreated conditions, and adherence barriers.
5. Action plan development: The pharmacist creates a medication action plan (MAP) and personal medication record (PMR) for the patient.
6. Follow-up: The pharmacy schedules follow-up to monitor outcomes and ensure interventions were successful.

Common Medication-Related Problems Found in CMRs

During a CMR, pharmacists commonly identify these types of problems:

• Unnecessary drug therapy: Medications that are no longer needed or have no valid indication
• Untreated conditions: Health conditions that should be treated but are not
• Wrong drug: A medication that is not the most appropriate choice for the patient's condition
• Dose too low or too high: Subtherapeutic or supratherapeutic dosing
• Adverse drug reactions: Side effects or allergic reactions to current medications
• Drug interactions: Clinically significant interactions between medications
• Non-adherence: Patients not taking medications as prescribed

Technician Support During CMRs

Pharmacy technicians are critical to the efficiency of the CMR process. Your responsibilities may include:

• Pulling patient profiles and medication histories from the pharmacy system
• Contacting patients to schedule CMR appointments
• Printing or preparing medication lists for the pharmacist
• Entering MTM documentation into the pharmacy's MTM platform
• Generating and distributing the personal medication record to the patient
• Tracking CMR completion rates for quality reporting

Documentation and Billing

Proper documentation is essential for CMR billing and quality metrics. Most MTM programs use standardized platforms such as OutcomesMTM or Mirixa to document interventions and outcomes. Pharmacy technicians may assist with entering data into these systems, though the clinical documentation is the pharmacist's responsibility.

Quality Metrics and Star Ratings

CMR completion rates are a key quality metric in the Medicare Part D Star Ratings program. Pharmacies that achieve high CMR completion rates contribute to better Star Ratings for their affiliated health plans, which can affect reimbursement and plan competitiveness. Pharmacy technicians who understand this connection can better appreciate the importance of their role in MTM workflows.

Prepare for the PTCB Exam

Understanding MTM and CMR processes is valuable PTCB exam knowledge. Practice with our mini exams and build your study plan at PTCBprep.