Medication prior authorization from the providers perspective: A prospective observational study.

Background: The prior authorization (PA) process for medications used by community providers requires modernization. Therefore, a deeper understanding of current state of PA from the community provider perspective is imperative to inform and modernize this managed care tool.

Objectives: Objectives of this study were to identify, analyze and categorize the issues associated with the medication PA process from provider practice perspective.

What Patients Know About Services to Help Manage Chronic Diseases and Medications: Findings from Focus Groups on Medication Therapy Management.

Background: Managing and treating patients with multiple chronic conditions presents challenges on many levels. Pharmacist-delivered medication therapy management (MTM) services, mandated as part of the Medicare Part D drug benefit, are designed to help patients manage their chronic conditions and medications.

Objective: To identify factors that influence patient understanding and use of MTM services and potential strategies to educate individuals about MTM.