FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For Further Information Contact:
Desiree M. Voinche
Manager, Communications and Outreach
voinched@dfmc.org

Delmarva Foundation Announces
Medication Therapy Management Project
Collaborative effort designed to evaluate impact of medication therapy
management services on patient outcomes

Easton, MD, June 19, 2006 - Delmarva Foundation, Medicare’s Quality Improvement Organization for Maryland and the District of Columbia, recently announced a program aimed at helping Medicare beneficiaries use prescription drugs more appropriately and effectively. The new initiative, a collaboration between Medi-CareFirst, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Howard University School of Pharmacy and Delmarva Foundation, will work with Medicare beneficiaries in Maryland and the District of Columbia who receive their medications from the Medi-CareFirst network of pharmacies. Funded by a three-year contract from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Delmarva Foundation project will begin exploring the best ways to improve the quality of prescription drug use under the new Medicare Part D drug plan.

Beginning January 1, 2006, all Medi-CareFirst members became eligible for community pharmacist-provided Medication Therapy Management Services (MTMS) through a program administered by Outcomes Pharmaceutical Health Care. With the announcement of this new initiative, the Delmarva Foundation will be leading an effort to promote and analyze the Medi-CareFirst MTMS program.

“This initiative is win-win for providers, Medi-CareFirst, pharmacists and especially patients. Since January of this year, Medicare beneficiaries have been able to take advantage of the knowledge and expertise of another group of health care professionals—community pharmacists—to help them understand their medications and to take more control of managing their own health,” said Michael Tooke, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Delmarva Foundation. “In addition to providing increased access to prescription drug coverage, this new program will help create a higher quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries in Maryland and the District of Columbia who are taking prescription medications. We are also enthusiastic about our new partners in quality improvement, the Schools of Pharmacy at Howard University and University of Maryland.”

The project, which will kick-off on August 1, will evaluate the MTMS provided in community-based and ambulatory care pharmacies for Medi-CareFirst members. Beneficiaries enrolled in the study will be tracked for 12 months. Analysis of patient outcomes, including satisfaction with the program, will be performed by Delmarva Foundation, in conjunction with the two Schools of Pharmacy. A report will be issued in late 2007.

For more information, please visit www.delmarvafoundation.org.

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About Delmarva Foundation
Delmarva Foundation is a national, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving healthcare quality in over 20 states. Since 1973, Delmarva has assisted in improving care in hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, medical practices and health plans. Delmarva performs quality improvement, quality assurance, utilization review, external quality review and Program Safeguard activities. The company's corporate headquarters are located in Easton, Maryland with other offices in Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, DC; Columbia, South Carolina; Tampa, Florida; and Tallahassee, Florida. For more information, please visit Delmarva Foundation on the web at www.delmarvafoundation.org.

8SOW-HOSP-062006-0016
This material was prepared by Delmarva Foundation under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.