NACDS Foundation seeks proposals for MTM research

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation has announced a request-for-proposals (RFP) to research integrating medication therapy management (MTM) services into the hospital discharge process.

Two $600,000 grants are expected to be awarded. The deadline for proposals is September 20, 2013.

The Cardinal Health Foundation in Dublin, Ohio, is a partner in the initiative, which will focus on patients with pneumonia, heart failure, acute myocardial infarctions, or other common conditions.  

“Too often hospital discharges lead to a revolving door of readmissions. Nearly one in five Medicare patients are readmitted to a hospital within 30 days of discharge, leading to $26 billion in wasted healthcare resources annually,” said Kathleen Jaeger, NACDS Foundation president. “Many of these readmissions are preventable, and as a result, hospitals are designing new discharge planning processes and implementing innovative intervention strategies to improve transitions of care.”

The research will evaluate the impact of medication management on readmission rates at 30-, 60- and 180-days post-discharge, and on adherence to discharge medications 180-days post-discharge.

“The Cardinal Health Foundation supports a number of efforts that have led to improved medication adherence and patient outcomes.  We are pleased to partner with the NACDS Foundation in this research project to further explore the impact of medication management in the treatment of chronic disease,” said Jon Giacomin, president U.S. pharmaceutical distribution of Cardinal Health.

For more information, contact the NACDS Foundation’s Alex Adams, at (703) 837-4232.

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