AIMM has championed the integration of comprehensive medication management (CMM) services into health care delivery since it assumed administrative responsibility from the Patient Safety and Clinical Pharmacy Services Collaborative (PSPC), in 2014. PSPC was a federally funded initiative created in 2008 that promoted the integration of enhanced medication management activities into the work of interprofessional health care teams. Over time, AIMM evolved PSPC into the A3 Collaborative, with a partnership among Apexus, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and AIMM. The A3 Collaborative initially launched in the Spring of 2017 and has supported more than 100 health systems and organizations implement CMM operations, scale and spread services, and for some, successfully install financial arrangements to ensure sustainability. Each participating organization begins the collaborative experience developing a bold aim making their CMM services a strategic part of their organization’s agenda. They then systematically work towards that aim over a 12-month time period. At the end of each collaborative, participating organizations are able to articulate the organization’s journey to achieving their CMM aim.
We have learned a great deal from teams, over five collaborative cycles, and the critical elements of creating successful CMM delivery systems, including:
- Identifying populations of focus
- Developing bold aims and drivers
- Implementing collaborative practice agreements
- Developing a strong value proposition
- Identifying and resolving Medication Therapy Problems
- Participating in networking events that support shared learning
- Creating and delivering a performance story
AIMM will not immediately resume another A3 Collaborative offering this Fall. Going forward, AIMM and partners will work to redesign the collaborative to address the technical and policy challenges of achieving full scale CMM, particularly in light of the evolving healthcare transformation due to COVID-19. We envision an A3 Collaborative that can help communities:
- Identify and engage populations who require CMM for successful health outcomes,
- Establish CMM operations at scale, across health care systems, regionally, and statewide,
- Generate innovative value-based payment arrangements crafted regionally and locally to finance these service delivery models, and
- Continue to evolve CMM operations as part of integrated delivery systems.
AIMM is committed to designing a new and innovative strategic course that amplifies the scale of our work, invites more partners to the table, and offers resources and coaching to help to create financially sustainable models that accelerate expansion. We look forward to keeping our current and past collaborative participants, stakeholders and interested constituents involved in, and informed of our work, with regular communications. And invite you to be the first to hear from us when we are ready to launch! Please email info@aimmweb.org with your preferred email address to receive updates and announcements from AIMM. Please include first and last name and affiliated organization.
Executive Director, AIMM