National Voluntary Consensus Standards for Medication Management 

 With an estimated 81 percent of adults in the United States taking at least one medication (including prescription and over-the-counter medications) and 50 percent taking at least one prescription drug, it is not surprising that interest in effective medication management is increasing. Despite improvements in health outcomes from medication therapy, growing evidence indicates that the frequent use of medications, and especially multiple medications in chronically ill patients, may lead to safety and quality problems. This report presents 19 endorsed measures for assessing the quality of medication management. These measures focus on various important medications such as warfarin, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, and antipsychotics used to treat medical conditions as varied as asthma, diabetes, and coronary artery disease. Appropriate medication management, particularly for patients with chronic illnesses, can help ensure proper medication use, reduce adverse medication events, and improve outcomes.