A comprehensive medication review (CMR) is a medication therapy management (MTM) service designed to systematically collect and assess patient medication information and identify medication therapy problems (MTPs) to develop a care plan for resolution. To ensure Medicare Part D plans are actively engaging in annual CMRs, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) added the PQA measure, Completion Rate for CMR, to the Medicare Part D Star Ratings Program. This measure assesses the annual percentage of completed CMRs for eligible beneficiaries.  

PQA’s talented staff is dedicated to improving medication safety, adherence and appropriate use. As experts in measure development, research, education and convening, they lead the implementation of PQA’s quality initiatives to support better medication use and high-quality care. This blog is one in a series profiling PQA's staff. 

The 2022 PQA Annual Meeting poster session featured 24 quality improvement and research projects. Sponsored by Pharmacy Quality Solutions, the session provided an opportunity for authors to showcase their work and for attendees to engage in insightful dialogue about health care quality.  

Although many pharmacists have partnered with public health entities and providers to address and improve challenges associated with social determinants of health (SDOH), there has not been a pharmacy screening tool developed with patient input.  

PQA has appointed 17 individuals from member organizations to serve on a technical expert panel (TEP) to review and provide input on draft specifications for a health plan measure concept: Proportion of Days Covered (PDC) Composite. 

PQA follows a systematic, transparent and consensus-based development process to ensure that measures are important, scientifically acceptable, feasible and usable. This approach produces strong, consistent results, but it also takes time. 

The PQA Quality Essentials Webinar provides education on the fundamentals of quality measurement, which is important for effective measure implementation and performance, and information about where and how PQA quality measures are used.  

PQA, the Pharmacy Quality Alliance, is a member-driven organization.  

PQA has published the 2022 PQA Measure Manual and Value Sets. The PQA Measure Manual includes detailed narrative specifications for PQA measures, which are needed to implement the measures accurately and appropriately. PQA Value Sets, which include National Drug Codes (NDCs), are required to calculate PQA measures as specified. 

The 2022 PQA Annual Meeting poster session will feature 24 quality improvement and research projects. Sponsored by Pharmacy Quality Solutions, the session provides an opportunity for authors to showcase their work and for attendees to engage in insightful dialogue about health care quality. 

The Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA) seeks interested pharmacy and payer partners to participate in proof-of-concept pilots to implement high priority blood pressure and hemoglobin A1c measure concepts in value-based payment arrangements (VBAs). 

PQA provides education throughout the year to promote the use and impact of PQA measures and advance the quality of medication use. With a focus on new developments and best practices, our goal is to help quality-focused health care professionals in a variety of practice settings expand their knowledge and skills.