Pioneer MTM Center Supported by Certified Pharmacy Technicians

Improving care and reducing health care costs for patients

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pharmacy technicians certified through the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) offer key support to the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy's Medication Management Center, a groundbreaking pharmacist-run call center delivering Medication Therapy Management (MTM) services to patients with diabetes, asthma, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and congestive heart failure.

The Medication Management Center's personalized MTM services are designed to optimize health outcomes and reduce health care costs for individual patients. At the Center, pharmacists work directly with patients, their providers, and fellow community pharmacists to ensure that patients receive optimal treatment while reducing the risk of adverse events and drug interactions.

"Pharmacy technicians are integral members of our pharmacy team," said Kevin Boesen, PharmD, Director of the Medication Management Center. "By expanding pharmacy technicians' roles within the Center, pharmacists are able to spend more time working directly with patients and, as a result, we have witnessed significant improvements in medication compliance and overall patient health outcomes."

Pharmacy technicians are involved in supporting pharmacists at every step of the MTM delivery process by scheduling patient appointments, gathering patient information, providing quality assurance reviews of patient and provider communications, conducting customer satisfaction surveys, and reporting outcomes. Since 2006, the Center has delivered MTM services to more than 400,000 Medicare beneficiaries across the country, and by utilizing PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technicians, has increased service quality and offerings.

"The model developed by the University of Arizona Medication Management Center is a great example of how integrated pharmacy teams positively benefit patients," said Melissa Murer Corrigan, RPh, PTCB Executive Director and CEO. "Certified Pharmacy Technicians continue to take on innovative roles that allow pharmacists to increase their involvement in direct patient care, which in turn, may reduce the overall cost burden on patients and the health care system."

For more information on the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy's Medication Management Center, please visit www.pharmacy.arizona.edu/centers.

About PTCB
The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) was established in January 1995 and is governed by five pharmacy organizations—the American Pharmacists Association, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists, the Michigan Pharmacists Association, and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. The goal of PTCB's national certification program, which has certified over 400,000 pharmacy technicians nationwide, is to enable pharmacy technicians to work more effectively with pharmacists to offer safe and effective patient care and service. Pharmacy technicians may apply online to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam at www.ptcb.org.

SOURCE Pharmacy Technician Certification Board