MTM Health Literacy & Patient Counseling 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A comprehensive medication review (CMR) during an MTM encounter should document the patient's:
- Insurance formulary tier for each medication
- Complete medication list including OTCs, herbals, and supplements with adherence assessment (Correct answer)
- Pharmacy dispensing history for the past 90 days only
- Prescriber contact information and fax numbers
Correct answer: Complete medication list including OTCs, herbals, and supplements with adherence assessment
A CMR captures all medications—prescription, OTC, and supplements—along with adherence patterns, side effects, and therapy gaps to form a complete clinical picture.
Question 2: Which of the following scenarios BEST illustrates a drug therapy problem (DTP) identified during MTM counseling?
- A patient requests a 90-day supply of their maintenance medication
- A patient taking warfarin has not had an INR checked in 6 months (Correct answer)
- A patient prefers generic substitution to reduce out-of-pocket costs
- A patient asks about the difference between brand and generic lisinopril
Correct answer: A patient taking warfarin has not had an INR checked in 6 months
Lack of necessary laboratory monitoring for a high-risk drug like warfarin constitutes a drug therapy problem related to monitoring needs.
Question 3: When providing telephone-based MTM counseling, the pharmacist should ALWAYS begin by:
- Reading a scripted disclaimer about the limitations of remote counseling
- Verifying patient identity and confirming the patient is in a private setting (Correct answer)
- Asking the patient to log into the patient portal to follow along
- Requesting that the patient retrieve all their medications before the call starts
Correct answer: Verifying patient identity and confirming the patient is in a private setting
Confirming identity protects patient privacy and HIPAA compliance, while ensuring a private setting supports candid discussion.
Question 4: An MTM pharmacist is creating a Personal Medication Record (PMR) for a patient. The PMR must include which CRITICAL element per MTM program standards?
- The patient's insurance copay amounts for each drug
- Drug name, dose, frequency, indication, and prescriber for each medication (Correct answer)
- Pharmacy NPI number and DEA registration for controlled substances
- Date of last physician visit and upcoming appointment schedule
Correct answer: Drug name, dose, frequency, indication, and prescriber for each medication
MTM program standards require the PMR to capture drug name, dose, frequency, indication, and prescriber to ensure complete and actionable medication information.
Question 5: A patient with type 2 diabetes does not understand why their A1C target is important. The MOST appropriate pharmacist response is to:
- Show the patient a chart of A1C trends from their lab records only
- Connect the A1C number to meaningful outcomes like preventing blindness and kidney disease (Correct answer)
- Explain the biochemical mechanism of glycosylated hemoglobin formation
- Recommend the patient attend a diabetes education class before the next visit
Correct answer: Connect the A1C number to meaningful outcomes like preventing blindness and kidney disease
Linking clinical numbers to personal health outcomes makes abstract lab values meaningful and motivates patients to pursue therapeutic targets.
Question 6: Which of the following statements about pictograms (visual icons) in patient education materials is TRUE?
- Pictograms should replace all written text on medication labels
- Culturally appropriate pictograms can improve medication instruction comprehension in low-literacy patients (Correct answer)
- Pictograms are only effective for pediatric patients
- The FDA prohibits use of pictograms on prescription medication labels
Correct answer: Culturally appropriate pictograms can improve medication instruction comprehension in low-literacy patients
Research supports that well-designed, culturally appropriate pictograms paired with simple text improve adherence and comprehension in patients with limited literacy.
Question 7: A pharmacist documents that a patient 'verbalized understanding' of discharge medication instructions. This documentation practice is considered:
- The gold standard for confirming patient health literacy
- Insufficient because it does not demonstrate actual comprehension (Correct answer)
- Required by Joint Commission standards for all outpatient encounters
- Appropriate only when the patient has a chronic disease diagnosis
Correct answer: Insufficient because it does not demonstrate actual comprehension
Simply stating a patient 'verbalized understanding' without using teach-back or return demonstration does not confirm comprehension and may not hold up in quality or legal review.
MTM Health Literacy & Patient Counseling 5
A comprehensive medication review (CMR) during an MTM encounter should document the patient's: