Dr. Nicole Brandt and Dr. María Laura Bonilla Acosta

Dr. Nicole Brandt, UMB School of Pharmacy, Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research

Dr. María Laura Bonilla Acosta, UCR School of Pharmacy

In both Costa Rica and the United States, the number of older adults is growing, and many face challenges with managing their medications safely and effectively. These medication-related problems can often be prevented or addressed through Medication Therapy Management (MTM), a set of services that helps people get the best results from their medications. MTM focuses on identifying, preventing, and resolving medication-related issues while supporting patients in their overall care. This study compares MTM services for older adults to support patient-centered research, encourage collaboration among healthcare professionals, and identify opportunities to improve MTM policies and practices in both countries. The project will examine and compare MTM services provided in outpatient care settings, identify the key information collected and used in these programs, and develop recommendations and future research opportunities with input from pharmacists and other stakeholders. To do this, researchers will review program documents and policies, conduct individual interviews, and distribute surveys to pharmacists and other stakeholders involved in MTM services in both countries. While MTM programs have been studied within individual countries, very few studies have compared programs across high-income and low- or middle-income countries. This project is one of the first efforts to explore how MTM programs in Costa Rica and the United States can learn from and strengthen one another.