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Q&A with Mel Nelson and DeBran Tarver on Evaluating CMR Services

A comprehensive medication review (CMR) is a medication therapy management (MTM) service designed to systematically collect and assess patient medication information and identify medication therapy problems (MTPs) to develop a care plan for resolution. To ensure Medicare Part D plans are actively engaging in annual CMRs, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) added the PQA measure, Completion Rate for CMR, to the Medicare Part D Star Ratings Program. This measure assesses the annual percentage of completed CMRs for eligible beneficiaries.  

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Five For Friday, May 20: Celebrating Success in Advancing Medication Use Quality

In a new Population Health Management article, PQA’s Melissa Castora-Binkley, Lisa Hines and I explain how medication adherence quality measures are relevant and high-impact.

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Q&A with PQA Senior Director of Performance Measurement Rachel Digmann

PQA’s talented staff is dedicated to improving medication safety, adherence and appropriate use. As experts in measure development, research, education and convening, they lead the implementation of PQA’s quality initiatives to support better medication use and high-quality care. This blog is one in a series profiling PQA's staff. 

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Top Posters at the PQA Annual Meeting

The 2022 PQA Annual Meeting poster session featured 24 quality improvement and research projects. Sponsored by Pharmacy Quality Solutions, the session provided an opportunity for authors to showcase their work and for attendees to engage in insightful dialogue about health care quality.  

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Medication Adherence: High-Impact, Relevant Measures

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. 

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Patients and Pharmacists Addressing Social Determinants of Health Together

Although many pharmacists have partnered with public health entities and providers to address and improve challenges associated with social determinants of health (SDOH), there has not been a pharmacy screening tool developed with patient input.  

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PQA Appoints 17 Individuals to Serve on Health Plan PDC Composite Measure TEP

PQA has appointed 17 individuals from member organizations to serve on a technical expert panel (TEP) to review and provide input on draft specifications for a health plan measure concept: Proportion of Days Covered (PDC) Composite. 

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Five For Friday, April 22: Celebrating Success in Advancing Medication Use Quality

We are less than two weeks away from the 2022 PQA Annual Meeting in Baltimore! I look forward to connecting with you in-person and discussing our shared goals to advance medication use quality.

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Developing Measures with Expert Input and Comprehensive Testing

PQA follows a systematic, transparent and consensus-based development process to ensure that measures are important, scientifically acceptable, feasible and usable. This approach produces strong, consistent results, but it also takes time. 

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Quality Essentials Review: PQA Adherence Measures

The PQA Quality Essentials Webinar provides education on the fundamentals of quality measurement, which is important for effective measure implementation and performance, and information about where and how PQA quality measures are used.  

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Quality Forum Review: The 2021 Trend Report in Pharmacy Quality

The PQA Quality Forum Webinar is a regular, recurring series on healthcare quality topics with a focus on medication use and medication services. It is a forum for educating and engaging with PQA members and quality-focused healthcare professionals.

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PQA Education Resources

PQA’s education programs provide health care quality professionals with the knowledge, training and resources needed to improve patient outcomes through safe and appropriate medication use. With an emphasis on new developments and best practices, PQA programs promote the use and impact of PQA measures and initiatives that support better medication use and high-quality, value-based care. 

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Five For Friday, April 8: Celebrating Success in Advancing Medication Use Quality

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: 

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Q&A with PQA Director of Education Amanda Ryan

PQA’s talented staff is dedicated to improving medication safety, adherence and appropriate use. As experts in measure development, research, education and convening, they lead the implementation of PQA’s quality initiatives to support better medication use and high-quality care. This blog is one in a series profiling PQA's staff.

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Get Engaged with PQA

PQA, the Pharmacy Quality Alliance, is a member-driven organization.  

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PQA Annual Meeting: Quality Emerges from the Pandemic, Focused on Access and Equity

Open to all health care professionals, the PQA meeting is a top forum for learning best practices and emerging trends in medication services, pharmacist-provided care and quality improvement initiatives.

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PQA Publishes 2022 Measure Manual and Value Sets

PQA has published the 2022 PQA Measure Manual and Value Sets. The PQA Measure Manual includes detailed narrative specifications for PQA measures, which are needed to implement the measures accurately and appropriately. PQA Value Sets, which include National Drug Codes (NDCs), are required to calculate PQA measures as specified. 

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Five for Friday, March 25: Celebrating Success in Advancing Medication Use Quality

The early registration dealing for the  PQA Annual Meeting is April 4, and we are announcing new details on how to connect with innovators and emerging leaders in medication use quality. 

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PQA Annual Meeting Features Two Dozen Research Posters

The 2022 PQA Annual Meeting poster session will feature 24 quality improvement and research projects. Sponsored by Pharmacy Quality Solutions, the session provides an opportunity for authors to showcase their work and for attendees to engage in insightful dialogue about health care quality. 

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PQA Seeks Pharmacy and Payer Partners for VBA Pilots

The Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA) seeks interested pharmacy and payer partners to participate in proof-of-concept pilots to implement high priority blood pressure and hemoglobin A1c measure concepts in value-based payment arrangements (VBAs). 

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