To improve the quality and safety of medication use in the United States, the National Quality Forum (NQF) endorsed 18 measures for managing over-the-counter and prescription medications. The 18 measures assess prescribing and use of appropriate medications and medication adherence, reconciliation, and monitoring.  The measures are among the first to be endorsed for medication management and help to highlight gaps in measurement and quality improvement for medication use and adherence.

The NQF-endorsed measures focus on measuring and improving adherence and management of medication for a range of conditions where medication nonadherance is prevalent and results in severe adverse outcomes. These conditions include diabetes, asthma, coronary artery disease, kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and schizophrenia.

The endorsed measures focus on areas such as adherence of antipsychotics among patients with schizophrenia, and medication possession for statin therapy for patients with coronary artery disease. Other measures focus on medication reconciliation and review by measuring the percentage of adults over age 65 who had a medication review, or the percentage of discharged patients over age 65 whose medications were reconciled. 

The endorsed measures include the following:

•    MM-001-08: Proportion of Days Covered (PDC): 5 Rates by Therapeutic Category*
•    MM-003-08: Adherence to Chronic Medications*
•    MM-004-08: Coronary Artery Disease and Medication Possession Ratio for Statin Therapy*
•    MM-005-08: Use and Adherence to Antipsychotics Among Members with Schizophrenia*
•    MM-006-08: Diabetes Mellitus and Medication Possession Ratio (MPR) for Chronic Medications*
•    MM-010-08: Diabetes and Medication Possession Ratio for Statin Therapy*
•    MM-014-08: Chronic Kidney Disease, Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, and Medication Possession Ratio for ACEI/ARB
      Therapy*
•    MM-017-08: Ace Inhibitor/Angiotensin Receptor Blocker Use and Persistence Among Members with Coronary Artery Disease
      at High Risk for Coronary Events*
•    MM-008-08: Diabetes Suboptimal Treatment Regimen (SUB)
•    MM-011-08: Suboptimal Asthma Control (SAC)  and Absence of Controller Therapy (ACT)
•    MM-013-08: Pharmacotherapy Management of COPD Exacerbation (PCE): Two rates are reported
•    MM-022-08: HBIPS-4: Patients Discharged on Multiple Antipsychotic Medications and HBIPS-5 Patients Discharged on
      Multiple Antipsychotic Medications with Appropriate Justification (paired measure)
•    MM-026-08: Care for Older Adults — Medication Review (COA)
•    MM-028-08: Medication Reconciliation Post-Discharge (MRP)
•    MM-030-08: Monthly INR Monitoring for Beneficiaries on Warfarin
•    MM-031-08: INR for Beneficiaries Taking Warfarin and Interacting Anti-Infective Medications
•    MM-034-08: HBIPS-6 Post-Discharge Continuing Care Plan Created
•    MM-035-08: HBIPS-7 Post-Discharge Continuing Care Plan Transmitted to Next Level of Care Provider upon Discharge

What are your thoughts on these endorsements? Do you think they will do the job to promote safety and quality? I’m interested in any feedback you might share.