Development & Pilot of the Technology-Enabled Alliance for Medication Therapy Management (TEAM)

Northwestern University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Polypharmacy

Treatments: Behavioral: TEAM Strategy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04575155

8036

Details and patient eligibility

About

The investigators will link community pharmacy and primary care practices via a shared electronic health record to improve medication therapy management for older patients taking complex prescription (Rx) regimens. The Technology-Enabled Alliance for Medication Therapy Management (TEAM) intervention will link a major, national community pharmacy chain (Walgreens) to primary care practices (Access Community Health Network) via a shared electronic health record (EHR) platform (Epic, Verona WI). Through shared access to patients' medical records, pharmacists can perform comprehensive medication therapy management services, document and communicate patients' Rx challenges for review and action by primary care providers. The aims of this investigation are to:

1. Evaluate the fidelity and efficacy of the TEAM intervention to promote healthcare provider counseling, medication reconciliation, and safe regimen use among adults taking complex Rx regimens.
2. Explore patient, healthcare provider (pharmacist, prescriber), community pharmacy and/or primary care practice barriers to implementation.
3. Determine the costs of the TEAM intervention from both a community pharmacy and primary care practice perspective.

Full description

The investigators will link community pharmacy and primary care practices via a shared electronic health record to improve medication therapy management for older patients taking complex prescription (Rx) regimens. The Technology-Enabled Alliance for Medication Therapy Management (TEAM) intervention will link a major, national community pharmacy chain (Walgreens) to primary care practices (ACCESS community health network) via a shared electronic health record (EHR) platform (Epic, Verona WI). Through shared access to patients' medical records, pharmacists can perform comprehensive medication therapy management services, document and communicate patients' Rx challenges for review and action by primary care providers.

The investigators will conduct a 2-arm pilot to evaluate the efficacy of the TEAM intervention compared to enhanced usual care. The investigators will enroll a total of 120 English and Spanish-speaking patients prescribed five or more chronic medications. Enrolled patients will complete a follow-up interview two months after their baseline interview.

The TEAM intervention enables a pharmacist to help patients on complex Rx regimens via medication reviews by telephone and clinical decision support. Pharmacists will call patients to conduct a Comprehensive Medication Review (CMR). Pharmacists will be able to document and communicate patients' medication challenges for review and action by primary care providers. A CMR will:

1. Ensure the primary care physician knows all medications the patient is taking (reconciliation)
2. Investigate if patients are taking medication as prescribed, in a safe manner (proper use)
3. Monitor and detect any drug-related adverse effects (ADEs) (surveillance)
4. Address any questions or concerns patients may have about their medicine (e.g. side effects, treatment alternatives, dietary restrictions, cost, 90 vs. 30 day scripts; education)
5. Inquire about patients' adherence to regimens, what barriers they may experience (e.g. cost, forgetfulness) and if they need assistance (e.g. synchronization requests, pill box or reminder tools, etc.; adherence).

After performing the CMR, the pharmacist will provide timely notifications via secure, EHR-based messaging direct to prescribers of any medication concerns, based on either 1) pharmacy information (e.g. medications ordered by other prescribers, fill data), 2) patient report of problems during phone-based encounters, or 3) pharmacist review of the patient record.

The aims of this investigation are to:

1. Evaluate the fidelity and efficacy of the TEAM intervention to promote healthcare provider counseling, medication reconciliation, and safe regimen use among adults taking complex Rx regimens.
2. Explore patient, healthcare provider (pharmacist, prescriber), community pharmacy and/or primary care practice barriers to implementation.
3. Determine the costs of the TEAM intervention from both a community pharmacy and primary care practice perspective.

Enrollment: 119 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 50+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

1. Patient is age 50 and older
2. Patient is English or Spanish speaking
3. Patient has established care at one of the involved ACCESS health centers (defined as 1 visit within 18 months)
4. Patient is an existing Walgreens customer (had 1 or more medications filled at collocated Walgreens pharmacy within past 12 months)
5. Patient is currently prescribed 5 or more Rx medications (excluding antibiotics); that includes at least one medication from any of the following six therapeutic classes of medications: hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, hepatitis C, and HIV
6. Patient is primarily responsible for administering own medication

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Severe, uncorrectable vision
2. Hearing impairments
3. Cognitive impairment (as measured by the 6-item screener)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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119 participants in 2 patient groups

TEAM Strategy

Experimental group

Description:

Patients randomized to the TEAM intervention arm will receive at least one call from a Walgreens pharmacist to help them with their complex Rx regimens. Pharmacists will have read/write EHR access with established Epic security points. Through shared access to patients' medical records, pharmacists can perform comprehensive medication therapy management services, document and communicate patients' Rx challenges for review and action by primary care providers. After the pharmacist calls the patient for a Comprehensive Medication Review, they will add notes in their medication list for the prescriber, requesting the removal or discontinuation of prescribed drugs that patients report they are not taking and adding medications omitted from the provider's list. The pharmacist will provide notifications via secured Epic messaging direct to prescribers of any patient concerns.The prescriber will make changes to the patient's EHR and/or contact the patient as they see fit.

Treatment:

Behavioral: TEAM Strategy

Enhanced Usual Care

No Intervention group

Description:

Patients randomized to enhanced usual care will have the medical record available to a Walgreens pharmacist with 'read only' access. All patients at the five targeted health centers already have read-only access in place. This means the Walgreens pharmacist will have the capability to review a patient's record as necessary. The pharmacist may refer to the EHR as needed and in a reactive manner; such as if a patient were to request a medication requiring review for billing purposes (i.e. verify insurance, prior authorizations), or if a patient safety concern was raised (e.g. potential drug-drug or drug- disease interaction, therapeutic duplication, etc.). Similarly, read only EHR access means pharmacists must continue to use existing communication channels (e.g. phone, fax) to contact prescribers.