WHAT IS IT? 

A CMR is a scheduled appointment that includes collecting patient-specific information, assessing prescription and over-the-counter medications to identify medication-related problems.  Completing a CMR entails the following actions:

• Develop a prioritized list of medication-related problems.
• Create a plan to resolve medication-related problems with the patient, caregiver and/or prescriber.
• The patient receives a personal medication record (PMR) and medication-related action plan (MAP).
• The physician receives follow-up communication that visit occurred as well as requests related to any potential drug therapy problems identified.

The CMR Completion Rate Measure identifies the percentage of MTM-eligible beneficiaries who have received a CMR during the eligibility period. Completion of a CMR was a CMS star ratings display measure for several years and is now a full measure (2016) for Medicare Part D plans. It’s important to note there is a two-year lag between “action” and reward year for the star ratings, so 2016 ratings are based on 2014 data. Completion of MTM opportunities is more critical than ever and what you’ve already done matters!¹

Medicare payers will be directly measured by CMS on their CMR completion rate, not the pharmacy teams. Payers complete CMRs in multiple ways, including using community pharmacists to deliver. Many payers use a third party MTM portal such as or OutcomesMTM^TM to provide CMR opportunities to community pharmacies, so they will also be monitoring pharmacies’ CMR case completion rates via the MTM portals.

Payers will be looking even more closely at what partners and methods help to increase quality measures including CMR completion and ultimately patient outcomes. In addition to the activity fees that pharmacies receive from completing CMRs, some payers may include CMR completion rate as part of their pay-for-performance programs.^1,3

1. Register with third party MTM portals such as OutcomesMTM to see available CMR cases.

2. Designate a pharmacy technician to log onto the MTM website(s) daily and check for available cases. Technicians can also assist with scheduling, preparing pre-visit paperwork, documentation, and billing for services.

3. Pharmacists should complete CMR appointment with patient and/or caregiver within the specified time frame for that specific CMR program. 

4. Refer to the Medication Therapy Management 101 for more specific suggested action steps and resources.

RESOURCES
1.Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. CMS MTM Program Requirements and Information. Accessed April 2, 2015.
2. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Medicare 2015 Part C & D Star Rating Technical Notes. Accessed April 2, 2015.
3. The Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative (PCPCC). The Patient-Centered Medical Home: Integrating Comprehensive Medication Management to Optimize Patient Outcomes. 2012. Accessed March 19, 2015.

^{NOTE: In 2019, CMR completion rate is a single weighted process measure and EQuIPP includes CMR completion rate performance for select plans in the dashboard.}