Development of Medication Management Strategies and MUE

Improving Medication Safety

Hospitals and health systems have increased their focus on improving medication safety in their organizations. Many have created a specific position dedicated to overseeing the analysis and improved reporting of adverse drug events (ADEs) and coordinating efforts with other departments to implement effective strategies to improve medication safety. We can provide the services of a Medication Safety Officer, and the support described in Clinical Pharmacy Services.

Maximize Patient Outcomes

Inadequate therapy also accounts for poor patient outcomes and for treatment failures and incomplete achievement of clinical goals. We are trained, qualified, and eligible to provide comprehensive medication management. Two common identified drug therapy problems are: 1) the patient requires additional drug therapy for effective prevention or synergistic or palliative care; and 2) the drug dosages need to be titrated to achieve therapeutic concentrations and achieve intended therapy goals.

MM is defined as the standard of care that ensures each patient's medications (i.e., prescription, nonprescription, alternative, traditional, vitamins, or nutritional supplements) are assessed to determine that each medication is appropriate for the patient, effective for the medical condition, safe given the comorbidities and other medications being taken, and able to be taken by the patient as intended.

Medication-use evaluation (MUE)

Medication-use evaluation (MUE) is a performance improvement method that focuses on evaluating and improving medication-use processes with the goal of optimal patient outcomes. MUE may be applied to a medication or therapeutic class, disease state or condition, a medication-use process (prescribing, preparing and dispensing, administering, and monitoring), or specific outcomes.

Further, it may be applied in and among the various practice settings of organized health systems. Through its focus on the system of medication use, the MUE process helps to identify actual and potential medication-related problems, resolve actual medication related problems, and prevent potential medication-related problems that could interfere with achieving optimum outcomes from medication therapy.

In organized health systems, MUE must be conducted as an organizationally authorized program or process that is proactive, criteria based, designed and managed by an interdisciplinary team, and systematically carried out. It is conducted as a collaborative effort of prescribers, pharmacists, nurses, administrators, and other health care professionals on behalf of their patients.