Why Medication Use Evaluation Matters in Healthcare
The continued drug development expands the drugs available on the market for patients. How do we determine if patients are on the best drugs available? How do we determine if the drugs on the formulary for a given healthcare system are appropriate based on the market or trends seen within a healthcare system? The answer to these questions is in the importance of medication use evaluation (MUE). This type of evaluation does not provide answers to all the questions surrounding medication use but helps us get to a place of understanding, which can facilitate changes that are beneficial for patients in the long-term sense.
Medication Use Evaluation (MUE) continues to play an increasingly important role in healthcare as organizations focus on value-based care, medication safety, and formulary optimization. With rising specialty drug costs and growing emphasis on quality outcomes, healthcare systems are leveraging MUEs to ensure medications provide both clinical and economic value while improving patient care.
Understanding Drug Utilization Review (DUR) and Drug Use Evaluation (DUE)
When discussing MUE, there are other processes needed to be addressed. Those processes are the drug utilization review (DUR) and the drug use evaluation (DUE). DUE and DUR are regarded as being synonymous with each other as these are ongoing drug therapy reviews. DUR is a quality assurance measure. For example, DUR encompasses three categories: prospective, concurrent, and retrospective. There are different categories for these drug therapy reviews depending on if we are addressing the drug review before dispensing, evaluating medication use during ongoing treatment, or reviewing therapy after treatment completion. Overall, DURs are put in place to ensure safety and efficacy of medication use.
Today, DUR and DUE activities are often supported by electronic health records (EHRs), clinical decision support systems, and pharmacy analytics platforms. These technologies allow healthcare organizations to identify prescribing trends, monitor medication safety events, and evaluate adherence to evidence-based treatment guidelines more efficiently than ever before.
How Medication Use Evaluation Differs from DUR and DUE
DURs and DUEs are precursors to the MUE, which provides a more detailed performance tool for healthcare professionals. The difference that stands out about MUE from other processes is that it focuses on outcomes and quality of life. Well, the next question someone may ask is, “how do you know if an MUE needs to be initiated?” From the various MUE objectives, one can realize that the MUE process can begin for a variety of reasons. For example, it can be because of increased medication errors seen within a healthcare system, or the withdrawal of approved products. Depending on the objective to start an MUE, a therapeutic or process outcome is usually determined at the end. There are different types of MUE objectives, such as:
- Patient safety improvement
- Drug therapy optimization
- Cost minimization
- Innovative practices assessment
Common Objectives of Medication Use Evaluation
In today’s healthcare environment, MUEs may also support:
- Antimicrobial stewardship initiatives
- Biosimilar adoption programs
- Specialty pharmacy management
- Compliance with accreditation and regulatory standards
- Population health initiatives
- Reduction of hospital readmissions and adverse drug events
The FOCUS-PDCA Framework for Medication Use Evaluation
According to the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP), the framework one can utilize to begin the MUE process is FOCUS-PDCA:
- Find
- Organize
- Clarify
- Understand
- Select
- Plan
- Do
- Check
- Act
The Growing Role of Data Analytics in MUE
Healthcare systems now have access to significantly more medication-related data through electronic health records, pharmacy dispensing systems, claims databases, and medication safety reporting programs. These resources allow pharmacists and healthcare teams to identify trends, monitor outcomes, and evaluate interventions more effectively.
Advanced analytics and predictive modeling are increasingly being used to identify high-risk patients, prevent medication-related problems, and support data-driven formulary decisions. As healthcare continues to embrace digital transformation, data analytics will remain a critical component of successful MUE programs.
The Pharmacist’s Role in Medication Use Evaluation
Depending on the site utilizing this framework, the approach will differ. On the other hand, MUEs can have its limitations due to the lack of scope, poor documentation, or poor communication. Pharmacists are a very important component of these evaluations because of their expertise. Medication therapy management (MTM) is a big part of many pharmacists’ everyday jobs, and in the long run, MTM results in better patient outcomes. ASHP has a great guidelines documents for those interested in MUE and learning about its in-depth practices.
The Clinical and Economic Impact of Pharmacist-Led MUE Activities
The value pharmacists bring to Medication Use Evaluations extends beyond clinical recommendations. Research has demonstrated that pharmacist-led medication reviews can identify hundreds of drug-related problems annually while generating substantial healthcare savings. One study found that clinical pharmacists identified 676 drug-related problems in a single year, resulting in approximately $304,000 in avoided adverse drug event costs and more than $213,000 in net annual savings per pharmacist full-time equivalent.
Additional research has shown that pharmacist-led medication reconciliation programs can reduce medication discrepancies by more than 50%, generating estimated savings of approximately $206 per patient through the prevention of avoidable adverse drug events, emergency department visits, and hospital readmissions.
These findings reinforce the important role pharmacists play in leading MUE initiatives and improving both clinical and economic outcomes within healthcare systems.
Improving Patient Outcomes Through Medication Use Evaluation
It is important to be aware of the various processes within systems that determine how patients are treated so they can ultimately receive the best outcomes. The MUE is a long process, but the findings from an MUE can help healthcare systems in various areas. As with any process, there are limitations, and for this reason it is important to have the right healthcare professionals assess these medication evaluations.
Original Author: Dagmara Zajac
Editorial Update (June 2026): Elizabeth Rodriguez
RxPharmacist Team
References:
- ASHP guidelines on medication-use evaluation. https://www.ashp.org/-/media/assets/policy-guidelines/docs/guidelines/medication-use-evaluation-current.ashx?la=en&hash=4927E9E8F085C17B19CA40AC0BAACBA229F47B07. Accessed December 23, 2022.
- Faley B, Fanikos J. Best Practices for Medication Utilization Evaluations in Postsurgical Pain Management. Curr Emerg Hosp Med Rep. 2017;5(1):33-40. doi:10.1007/s40138-016-0121-2
- Fanikos J, Jenkins KL, Piazza G, Connors J, Goldhaber SZ. Medication use evaluation: pharmacist rubric for performance improvement. Pharmacotherapy. 2014;34 Suppl 1:5S-13S. doi:10.1002/phar.1506
- Drug utilization review. AMCP.org. https://www.amcp.org/about/managed-care-pharmacy-101/concepts-managed-care-pharmacy/drug-utilization-review. Accessed December 23, 2022.
- Blenkharn A, Bond C, Raynor DK, et al. Economic and clinical impact of pharmacist interventions in hospital practice. Int J Clin Pharm. 2024;46(2):421-430. doi:10.1007/s11096-023-01683-w
- Mekonnen AB, McLachlan AJ, Brien JE. Effectiveness of pharmacist-led medication reconciliation programmes on clinical outcomes at hospital transitions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open. 2016;6(2):e010003. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010003
- Institute for Safe Medication Practices. ISMP Medication Safety Resources. https://www.ismp.org. Accessed June 18, 2026.
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Medication Safety Program. https://www.ahrq.gov/patient-safety. Accessed June 18, 2026.
- The Joint Commission. Medication Management Standards. https://www.jointcommission.org/standards. Accessed June 18, 2026.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Initiatives. https://www.cms.gov. Accessed June 18, 2026.
- American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. ASHP Resource Center: Medication-Use Evaluation. https://www.ashp.org. Accessed June 18, 2026.