Today is Rare Disease Day. It’s an opportunity to raise awareness of the impact of rare diseases.

Patients, caregivers, family members and advocates have a critical role to play in high-quality medication use. They provide unique and valuable insights about what is important and meaningful in medication use quality, which supports the development of appropriate and useful quality measures, as well as related education, research and tools that support informed health care decisions and better medication use outcomes.

PQA mourns the passing of CMS Chief Medical Officer Jeffrey Kelman, MD, MMSc. Kelman served on the PQA Board of Directors for 10 years and most recently served on the board as a CMS Special Advisor. Kelman was a trusted advisor to PQA since its establishment in 2006. He was kind, generous and thoughtful in his support of PQA and its mission.

Kelman joined CMS in 2005 and helped implement the Part D program. He was a passionate advocate for patient-centered care and efforts to improve the quality of medication use. On behalf of our board, members and staff, PQA sends condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and the countless lives he touched during his life and career.

See Dr. Kelman's obituary for more on his life, accomplishments and family.

PQA and the Patient Advocate Foundation convened a diverse group of patients and pharmacy stakeholders in 2022 to identify and prioritize patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) topics and evidence needed to improve social determinants of health (SDOH) screening and interventions in the pharmacy setting.

Medication therapy management (MTM) is an important tool to help patients get the best results from the medications they’re taking.

However, as our health care system shifts toward patient-centered and value-based care models, there is a need to advance how we evaluate the quality of MTM services. This can support the broader implementation of standardized best practices and payment that rewards positive outcomes.

PQA has launched a national initiative to advance MTM quality measurement. A key part of this effort is a November 2 PQA Convenes event will will host. Learn more below.

We also highlight our members' perspectives on diabetes care, achieving the quintuple aim and transforming pharmacy care. If you have news you'd like for us to spotlight in an upcoming Five For Friday, send us an email! 

PQA has launched the PQA Quality Innovation and Research Initiative to Advance Medication Therapy Management Quality Measurement – a national initiative to advance medication therapy management (MTM) quality measurement and other strategies to evaluate MTM services.

The 2023 PQA Annual Meeting is May 10-12 in Nashville, Tenn. You’ll hear from more than 50 speakers across our general, breakout and special sessions.

Let PQA be part of the strategy to ensure your staff has robust and in-person opportunities for networking, professional development, continuing education, and strategic engagement with business partners and prospects.

The 2023 PQA Annual Meeting, May 10-12 in Nashville, Tenn., is one of most affordable and accessible national meetings:

Shadowing programs are a great way to gain knowledge and insights about technical programs and processes.

We are excited to announce that registration for the 2023 PQA Annual Meeting will open next week. This year’s meeting is May 10-12 in Nashville. Tenn. Be on the lookout for that registration link to reserve your spot at the top event for medication-focused quality improvement professionals.

It’s a new year and there are several big things on the horizon to keep an eye on in pharmacy, medication use and high-quality, value-based care.

PQA is launching a national initiative to prioritize research and measurement strategies to improve the quality of care for individuals using oral anticancer medications (OAM).

What constitutes quality and value in medication use?

Medication adherence quality measures are relevant and high-impact, according to PQA’s Ben Shirley, Melissa Castora-Binkley and Lisa Hines, whose Population Health Management point of view article was published online April 29.

They explain that adherence measures in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Part D Star Ratings have contributed to immense public health benefits and savings over the last decade. As the measures evolve to integrate new data sources and address equity, their value to the health system will continue. They are an excellent example of how evidence-based quality measures implemented into accountability programs with meaningful incentives can move the needle and improve population health. 

The early registration deadline for the 2022 PQA Annual Meeting has been extended to next Friday, April 15! This extension includes the special PQA hotel rate.

The program is almost finalized. See our recent announcements on the speakers for: 

PQA’s Board of Directors represents a diverse group of thought leaders and experts in healthcare, who understand how medication optimization improves patient outcomes and supports a value-based care system. Their expertise helps PQA advance the safe and appropriate use of medicines. This blog is one in a series profiling PQA's Board members.

The Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA) developed the “Medication Access Framework for Quality Measurement”  to address the social determinants of health (SDOH) that hinder patient medication access and contribute to poor health outcomes. Released in March 2019, the framework identifies seven key areas patients encounter while accessing medications and the structural, financial and personal barriers patients face within each. Named the Medication Access Patient Journey (MAPJ), those seven areas are:

Research is a strategic growth priority for PQA. It has great potential to enhance and support quality improvement initiatives.

PQA is investigating the impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) on pharmacy and medication access by using a multi-stakeholder perspective to analyze current gaps in knowledge and interventions that currently exist in pharmacy settings.