PQA has published more than 60 blogs this year, providing insights and updates on our work to improve medication use quality. As we close out 2024, here’s a look back at the top five blogs of the year.
Rare Disease Day and a Focus on Quality (February 29)
In the United States, rare disease affects about one in 10 people. The burden and cost of treating rare disease is high for patients, our care system and society. Ensuring the quality of medication use is critically important for rare disease patients, payers, clinicians, specialty pharmacies and everyone with a role in the care process. PQA Convenes: Quality Medication Use in Rare Disease brought members and the rare disease community together on November 7, 2024, in Arlington, Va., to explore quality in medication use. PQA will publish a report from the convening event early in 2025 to further elevate the importance of medication use quality for individuals with rare disease and those who care for them. Read why PQA provided a forum to discuss quality issues in rare disease medication use.
Piloting the PQA Specialty Pharmacy Turnaround Time Quality Measure (June 27)
The use of specialty medicine has grown rapidly in recent decades, fueling parallel growth in the number of specialty pharmacies that serve patients who are prescribed specialty medications. In 2022, with funding support from Pfizer, PQA launched the PQA Specialty Pharmacy Turnaround Time Implementation Pilot to advance standardized measurement of TAT. Five organizations—across the chain, independent, integrated delivery network (IDN) and PBM-owned specialty pharmacy models—participated in the pilot. Heather Gibson detailed PQA's Specialty Pharmacy Turnaround Time Implementation Pilot.
Quality Professionals Gather at 2024 PQA Annual Meeting (May 29)
PQA members and health quality professionals gathered in Baltimore, Md., May 14-16, for the 2024 PQA Annual Meeting. Attendees heard from more than 60 speakers across the general sessions, breakout sessions, briefing sessions and innovation theaters. These nationally leading speakers shared expert insights and best practices for improving medication use quality from every angle in the industry. Save the date for the 2025 PQA Annual Meeting, May 19-21, in Tampa, Fla., and learn more about the 2024 PQA Annual Meeting.
Pharmacists-Provided Care Continues to Expand Five Years After PQA’s Action Guide (July 11)
Through convening events, research, pilots and work to develop standard pharmacy quality measures, PQA has been a national leader in advancing pharmacist-provided care. A 2018 PQA-convened task force identified 15 strategies to expand value-based pharmacist-provided care, which form the centerpiece of the 2019 Strategies to Expand Value-Based Pharmacist-Provided Care Action Guide. Loren Kirk reflects on the guide’s impact and shares his perspective on the collaborations that continue to shape pharmacist-provided care .
High-Impact Measurement for Chronic Conditions Helps Avoid Excess Care Costs ( September 4)
Adherence to medications for cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes helped Medicare beneficiaries avoid up to $29.2 billion in healthcare costs over six years (2016-21), according to the 2024 National Impact Assessment of CMS Quality Measures Report. Developed by PQA, these health plan measures ensure patients have their prescribed medications, directly contributing to the Medicare Part D Star Ratings program. PQA CEO Micah Cost shared insights in his article in Managed Healthcare Executive.
We look forward to sharing more news and insights with you in 2025. Follow PQA on LinkedIn for frequent updates and links to our blogs and other information that can help you in your work to improve medication use quality.