Authorizes physicians and pharmacists to enter into collaborative practice medication adherence protocols for their patients

• Democratic11
• Republican4

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Lea Webb says this is needed

Collaborative Practice Medication Adherence (CPMA) has been accepted by the NYS Health Department as a policy recommendation from a Value-Based Payment stakeholder workgroup. CPMA is a professional service provided by qualified pharmacists to patients who are referred by their treating physicians for extra medication support services. The service represents a targeted strategy developed to reduce avoidable hospitalizations and healthcare costs resulting from the exacerbation of chronic diseases due to sub-optimal medication use. With expertise in pharmacotherapy and pharmacokinetics, pharmacists are uniquely positioned healthcare provid- ers to address medication-related problems. One key aspect of profes- sional practice is patient counseling which includes an assessment of a patient's understanding of how to use the medication, what side-effects to expect, how to manage them, what side-effects are dangerous and should be reported, etc. Patients are not compliant for many reasons, and pharmacists are well equipped for effective one-to-one discussions that produce positive results. Peer-reviewed studies in published liter- ature consistently document the effectiveness of increasing direct interactions between pharmacists and patients. I n fact, the evidence was so compelling that the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare included Medication Therapy Management as a mandatory element in Medicare Part 1-) Prescription Drug Plans. CPMA represents a logica l progression. Under CPMA, only at-risk patients receive the additional service. Patients are identified by their treating physicians and referred to an individual pharmacist with whom the treating physician has developed a written protocol for a particular patient related to a particular disease or diseases. As Value-Based payment methodologies evolve and quality is increasingly measured by therapeutic outcomes in defined patient populations, the need for CPMA services by pharmacists will become more and more apparent. In fact, QARR and HEDIS measures current- ly include many directly concerned with medication adherence, for exam- ple: medication management for people with asthma, statin therapy for patients with diabetes, persistence of beta-blocker treatment after a heart attack, antidepressant medication management, and adherence to antipsychotic medications for people with schizophrenia. CPMA as described in the bill applies to pharmacists in community settings as well as patients with chronic medical conditions and their treating physicians who have relationships with local pharmacists. The protocols envisioned in this proposal will deal with common conditions such as asthma, diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. This legis- lation represents a modest and logical extension to the services that pharmacists in community practice settings can provide if they meet the additional qualifications included in the bill. Finally, under current Education Law pharmacists employed in hospitals who meet additional qualification requirements receive a credential from the Education Department authorizing them to enter into collaborative agreements with physicians in hospitals. This bill removes the sunset on this section of law which has been in place since 2011, making it permanent.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.