• The annual reported rate captures activity during the previous calendar year. 
• This is a Healthcare Effectiveness & Data Information Set (HEDIS) administrative measure.
• As of 2014, DVHA’s rates only include only Medicaid Primary beneficiaries in HEDIS administrative measures.
• The target trend line is the 50th percentile national benchmark for Medicaid programs.

The percentage of Medicaid enrollees ages 18 & older who received at least 180 treatment days of ambulatory medication therapy for a select therapeutic agent during the measurement year and who received annual monitoring for the therapeutic agent in the measurement year.

There are two separate rates and a total rate (total rate is shown above):

• Annual monitoring for enrollees on angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB)
• Annual monitoring for enrollees on diuretics

Patient safety is highly important, especially for patients at increased risk of adverse drug events from long-term medication use.  Persistent use of these drugs warrants monitoring and follow-up by the precribing physician to assess for side-effects and adjust drug dosage/therapeutic decisions accordingly.  The drugs included in this measure have deleterius effects in the elderly.

The costs of annual monitoring are offset by the reduction in health care costs associated with complications arising from lack of monitoring and follow-up of patients on long-term medications.  The total costs of drug-related problems due to misuse of drugs in the ambulatory setting has been estimated to exceed $76 billion annually.

Last updated:  February 2020