Medication Therapy Management
Our Medication Therapy Management (MTM) program is a no-cost service designed to help you ensure that your medications are working best for you.
As part of the program, a pharmacist will complete a Comprehensive Medication Review (CMR) for eligible members. We automatically enroll members in our MTM program, if you qualify. Your participation is voluntary, and you can opt out at any time.
What happens during a review?
During a review, you will talk with a pharmacist one-on-one and discuss the following:
- All of your prescribed medications, over-the-counter products, and/or herbal medications.
- Specific details about your medications including how they work, potential side effects, drug interactions, and any potential cost savings.
- Pharmacist recommendations around treatment options and how to get the best outcome from your medication.
Following the review, we will send you a completed list of your medications and an action plan containing any recommendations from the pharmacist. We encourage you to share these with your primary care provider during your next visit to update their records. Should something serious be identified, the pharmacist will reach out to your doctor to help resolve it.
Who qualifies for the program?
On a quarterly basis, Arkansas Blue Medicare, in collaboration with Aspen Rx Health will review prescription drug claims to determine eligibility in the program.
To be eligible for the MTM program in 2024, a member must meet all three of the following criteria:
- Have three or more of the following chronic conditions:
- Diabetes
- Dyslipidemia
- Chronic Heart Failure
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Be taking eight or more covered Part D drugs
- Be likely to incur annual costs of Part D drugs that exceed $4696
How do I know if I'm eligible?
After a review of prescription medications is completed, any eligible members will be sent an offer letter via mail describing the benefits of the program and how to complete the program. Additionally, you may receive outreaches via phone, email, or text messages.
Arkansas Blue Medicare partners with other health care organizations, who may assist in completing your CMR. These include retail pharmacies, Aspen Rx Health, and Outcomes MTM Patient Engagement Team.
What are Targeted Medication Reviews?
Every few months, the Medication Therapy Management Program will review your prescription drug claims to ensure that no additional issues or concerns are identified. If we do identify a potential problem, we may outreach to you or your doctor to review.
How do I complete my Comprehensive Medication Review?
For Arkansas Blue Medicare, please call 888-843-5779 Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT.
How do I opt out of the program?
CMS requires us to automatically opt you into the program if you meet the criteria, but you are not required to participate. You can choose to opt-out by contacting Arkansas Blue Medicare at 888-843-5779 9am to 7pm CST Monday-Friday. Opting out will not change any of your benefits or prescription drug coverage.
How to Safely Dispose Unused Prescription Medications
It's important to dispose of medications you no longer use or have expired in a safe way. Safe disposal of medications helps ensure they do not harm others. The best way to dispose of your expired, unwanted or unused medicines is through a drug take back program. It is important to get rid of unneeded medications as soon as possible. Here are some tips and information for safe medication disposal.
Drug Take Back Programs
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) sponsors National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in communities nationwide. You can learn more about National Drug Take Back Day and take-back programs at the website: takebackday.dea.gov. You can also search for a local drug take-back program in your community through the search tool on this website.
Disposing of Medications at Home
If you can't take your medications back to an authorized take-back site, there are two ways to dispose of medication at home, depending on the type of drug.
Flushing Medications:
Some medications can be especially harmful to others. It is best to flush these medications down the sink or toilet immediately when they are no longer needed, and the take-back option is not possible. Check the label or patient information leaflet with your medicine to see if the materials include information about flushing the medication for disposal. You can find a list of medications recommended for disposal by flushing at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's website (fda.gov). Do NOT flush your medications unless they are on this list or the instructions specifically say to flush.
Disposing of Medications in Household Trash:
If a medication take-back program is not available, almost all medicines (pills, liquids, drops, patches, and creams), except those on the flush list, can be thrown into your household trash following these steps:
- Remove the drugs from their original containers and mix them with something undesirable, such as used coffee grounds, dirt or cat litter. This makes the medicine less appealing to children and pets and unrecognizable to someone who might intentionally go through the trash looking for drugs. It is also recommended to fold used patches in half with the sticky sides together before disposal.
- Put the mixture in something you can close (a re-sealable zipper storage bag, empty can or other container) to prevent the drug from leaking or spilling out.
- Throw the container in the garbage.
- Scratch out all your personal information on the empty medicine package to protect your identity and privacy. Throw the packaging away.
The U.S Department of Health and Human Services provides a website identifying methods for the safe disposal of drugs that you may access at hhs.gov/opioids/prevention/safely-dispose-drugs/index.html.
As always, ask your pharmacist or doctor if you have questions about any of your medications.
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