What Is Medication Management Therapy?
Medication management therapy – or MTM – is a treatment system used by doctors and pharmacists to ensure that patients are receiving optimal therapeutic outcomes for the prescription medications that they may be taking. Medication Management Therapy is used to cover a broad range of professional activities, such as:
Assessment & Plans
Performing patient assessments, reviewing prescriptions for interactions/side effects, and formulating short/long-term medication treatment plans.
Safety & Compliance
Monitoring the safety and efficacy of medication plans while ensuring directional compliance through patient education.
Documentation & Communication
Maintaining high standards of care through improved documentation and clear communication between MTM service providers.
In short, medication management therapy is a cumulative effort between pharmacies (and often healthcare providers and other medical professionals) to ensure that drugs are being used as prescribed while limiting chances for abuse and to ensure that patients are educated and able to use the prescription properly for their specific ailment.
Since 2004, eleven national pharmacy organizations have adopted this as the standard for MTM care.
Methods Used in Medication Management Therapy
Medication therapy management includes five core components that the American Pharmacists Association and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation laid out in a comprehensive service model that more than half a dozen additional pharmacy-related associations have since adopted.
Medication Therapy Review (MTR)
A systematic process of patient-specific data collection that helps pharmacists assess medication therapies, identify problems, and formulate resolution plans.
Personal Medication Record (PMR)
A comprehensive list of all current/recent prescription medications, OTC drugs, herbal products, and dietary supplements to prevent adverse interactions.
Medication-Related Action Plan (MAP)
A document detailing actionable steps for the patient to take (or avoid) to track progress toward achieving specific health goals.
Intervention & Referral
Direct interaction between the pharmacist and prescribing physician to provide additional monitoring, education, or necessary doctor visits.
Documentation & Follow-Up
A complete, periodically updated record of patient care steps, medication history, and past side effects maintained during care transfers or changes.
What to Look for When Finding a MTM Specialist
Most pharmacy associations now adhere to MTM or a modified strategy when dealing with medication or prescription management. As such, your local pharmacy often has just what you need. However, just like any other patient care service, if you aren’t particularly pleased with the way your pharmacist or MTM specialist handles your needs, then you are free to search for others who may be more accommodating.
What Is Psychiatric Medication Management?
This is when psychiatrists or psychiatric practitioners give psychiatric medication management and assessment to patients. If you are not sure if medications are the best option for you a psychiatrist or practitioner can be of great assistance to you to explore your options. There are a lot of unknowns when it comes to the medications that are available, however understanding how a professional can help you, and learning what medication management means will help ease all of the unknowns. Also being aware of what to expect with a psychiatric assessment will reduce your anxiety about it.
Our mental health is connected with our overall physical health and sense of well-being. Negative experiences like trauma can leave us feeling anxious, overwhelmed and depressed. If we don’t seek treatment, these feelings can lead to behaviors that are destructive to our lives and relationships. Like it is important to have a physical every year by your doctor, it’s just as important to have a mental health check-up, as well.
A psychiatrist or psychiatric practitioner will give you an initial checkup similar to what a primary care provider might do. This checkup is called an assessment, and it is basically an overview of your symptoms that will help with the determination of whether or not medication is a good option in the treatment of your mental health concerns. Primary care doctors address your physical care, psychiatrists use the form of discussion to get to the core of your mental health concerns.
Then as a result of the assessment, a diagnosis is made and a treatment plan is designed for your particular needs. If medication is decided to be the best option you will be informed and educated about the medication uses, and side effects.
First, you have to agree on medication and treatment options, then the medication will be prescribed for a trial period in order to observe the effectiveness. This is the medication management aspect of psychiatric care. They monitor how helpful the medication is over a period of time to determine if the treatment meets your goals. It is important to note that due to how psychiatric medications react differently to everyone, the effectiveness of the medications varies from person to person. Every person has unique brain chemistry that works differently with every drug, no two people will have the same response.
Medications are often used with other forms of treatment like counseling, family therapy, and/or behavioral therapies. With careful monitoring and continuous discussion, you can find the right medication and treatment plan for you.
It is important to remember that the use of prescription medications always introduces potential risks and side effects. These should all be discussed in detail with you by your psychiatrist. There are many psychological problems that do not need medicines, however, there are instances where prescription medicines are a good option for patients that are struggling.
Overall, medicines are an important part of the treatment of many mental illnesses like depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, panic, sleep problems, attention deficit disorder, etc.
Just know that with any treatment there are no magic bullets. Working on your mental health takes work and time. No medication can do the work for you. Getting better means taking an active stance towards the problems and challenges you face. Overall, medications are one tool that can help you to feel better. However, physical exercise, eating well, avoiding nonprescription drugs, maintaining good relationships, learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety are all ways to work on getting better.
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