Feature Pharmacy
The secret to high program ratings? Building trust with patients
Navigating the medications used to treat multiple chronic illnesses can be difficult, but taking them correctly is key to the best possible health outcomes. The Medication Therapy Management (MTM) program at the OneWorld Pharmacy helps patients navigate such challenges. OneWorld receives high marks for its MTM program, including a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Part of this success is owed to the trust patients build with pharmacists like Alyssa Tello, who leads the program at OneWorld.
The second goal includes targeted intervention programs, or TIPs, for a specific medication or disease state - essentially patient education and counseling. Tello said TIPs help troubleshoot barriers to taking a drug as prescribed, like side effects, missed or incorrect doses, financial challenges and understanding how each medication works. Insurance plans can set their own eligibility criteria for MTM, but many of OneWorld’s patients are eligible due to their enrollment in certain Medicare or Medicaid programs. They also must be on multiple medications for certain chronic illnesses and exceed a minimum for out-of-pocket costs. Another program, the Medication Assistance Treatment (MAT) program at OneWorld combines behavioral health therapy with medications to treat substance use disorders. Typically, the MAT program is used to treat people who are addicted to opioids like heroin and prescription pain relievers. It can also be used to treat people with alcohol use disorders and smoking addictions. Prescribed medications help block the euphoric effects of such substances, while reducing cravings and normalizing body functions. Coupling prescription medications with behavioral health therapy can help sustain recovery. The goal of MAT is to help each patient make a full recovery and live an empowered, self-directed life.
“I feel like patients, when they talk with us as pharmacists, they get that sense of, we’re doing everything we can to help them, that we have their back,” Tello said. At OneWorld, MTM has two main goals: comprehensive medication reviews and targeted intervention programs.
Alyssa Tello Pharmacist
For patients, the former looks like an in-depth conversation about the medications they take, including prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins and supplements. “It’s a good landing spot to bring patients and everybody else onto the same page, because there’s often misunderstandings … of what patients should be doing and what they’re actually taking or not actually taking,” Tello said.
10 EXCHANGE | ISSUE 2 2025
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