This is a duty that can be entrusted to a technician or a support staff member.  Integrating MTM into an already packed workflow is definitely a challenge, but as always there are ways that we can find to work through it.  While clinical judgment pertaining to MTM should absolutely be the sole responsibility of the pharmacist, not every aspect of MTM requires professional judgment.  Some of the organizational and clerical aspects of MTM scheduling can be delegated to the pharmacy technicians.

How can pharmacy technicians help complete Comprehensive Medication Reviews (CMRs)?

The most time-consuming part of the MTM encounter, in most pharmacists experience, is the booking and scheduling of the appointment.  There are different tactics and offers that can be made to the patient in order to help get them to agree to come in to the pharmacy for a CMR appointment.  A well trained pharmacy staff member can usually get just as many or more “Yes” answers to the CMR offer.

Who should I ask to help me complete my CMR cases?

Usually, I try to identify the staff member with the best customer service skills.  Most pharmacies have that one tech that has a very special relationship with the patients.  The technician or staff member can be taught about MTM and can learn how to offer the patient the CMR appointment.  Many times a customer’s favorite technician will be more likely to get a “Yes” when an MTM eligible patient is identified.  Delegating “the call” to a trusted technician can help build an MTM program and allows the pharmacy to work together towards a common goal.

That goal, in case you are wondering, is a 76% CMR completion rate.

This is the goal you will have to achieve to receive a 5 star rating from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.

How do I train support staff to call patients?

I use a simple training call script (download below) to help teach pharmacy staff members how to approach a CMR offer.  You are welcome to use it, try it and alter it to find the wording that works best for your pharmacy and your patients.  Once staff has been trained, access can be made to a pharmacy-wide scheduling software that we will examine in Part 2 of this series.  Now go out there rock MTM in 2016!

Now you have a goal, so go out there and achieve it!

If you found this information useful, and would like to get our blog posts and MTM updates sent directly to your inbox you can join our NEWSLETTER.  In 2016, I will also be offering personal coaching packages to pharmacists who are interested in starting their own independent consulting services.  There are limited spots available, so if you are interested in personalized coaching, you may contact me directly here.