PQA endorses three new performance measures

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Pharmacy Quality Alliance’s memberhsip has endorsed three new performance measures: Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C: Completion of Therapy, Polypharmacy; Use of Multiple Anticholinergic Medications in Older Adults; and Polypharmacy: Use of Multiple CNS-Active Medications in Older Adults.

 The first measure, Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C: Completion of Therapy, evaluates the percentage of adults being treated for chronic Hepatitis C who completed the minimum intended duration of therapy without any significant gaps in therapy. Hepatitis C Virus infection is the most common chronic blood borne infection in the United States, affecting an estimated 3 million Americans, and is the leading cause of liver transplantation in the United States. According to PQA, Hepatitis C is often curable with the completion of antiviral therapy, but this comes with a high price tag of up to $84,000 for a full 12-week course of therapy, for example.

 "Patients now have access to therapies that are shorter duration and more tolerable than previous options, and importantly, offer a cure. To achieve a cure, however, patients must complete their therapy as prescribed," said Dr. Woody Eisenberg, SVP for PQA.

 The second measure, Polypharmacy: Use of Multiple Anticholinergic Medications in Older Adults, evaluates the percentage of individuals 65 and older with concurrent use of two or more anticholinergic medications, which is associated with an increased risk for cognitive decline.

The third measure, Polypharmacy: Use of Multiple CNS-Active Medications in Older Adults, evaluates the percentage of individuals 65 and older with concurrent use of three or more CNS-active medications, including antidepressants, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines and nonbenzodiazepine sedative-hypnotics, and opioid analgesics. Such use is associated with an increased risk for falls, and for some combinations, fractures.

 "A high anticholinergic burden is consistently associated with reduced cognitive performance in older adults, said Dr. Eisenberg, adding that, "Co-prescribing of CNS-active medications in the elderly is also concerning because it's been trending upward."

 PQA collaborated with various organizations to complete measure testing, including HealthPartners to test the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C: Completion of Therapy measure and with the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy to test the Polypharmacy measures.