What is a medication therapy review (MTR)?

A medication therapy review (MTR) is defined as a comprehensive evaluation of a patient's medications. During this process, pharmacists or healthcare providers assess all the medications a patient is taking, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, and dietary supplements. The goal is to identify potential drug therapy problems, ensure that medications are being used effectively, and evaluate for interactions, side effects, and other issues that could affect the patient's health.

This thorough review enables the healthcare team to resolve any medication-related problems and optimize therapy for better outcomes. It is a patient-centered approach that supports effective medication management, which is a key component of medication therapy management (MTM).

In contrast, a quick check of medication labels is not comprehensive and does not adequately evaluate the effectiveness or safety of the entire medication regimen. A process for prescribing new medications focuses solely on the initiation of new therapies without considering the entire context of a patient's current medications. Lastly, a summary of medication side effects does not encompass the broader scope of evaluating and resolving issues related to the overall medication plan, thus missing essential elements of the MTR process.