Quality measurement is not just about reporting performance. It is about helping patients achieve better outcomes, improving the value of care, and ensuring the sustainability of our health care system. As health care continues its transition toward value-based care, quality medication use must remain a strategic priority for health plans, pharmacies, providers, policymakers, and patients alike.
The question is not whether quality measures will shape the future of health care. The true challenge is in shaping those measures in ways that truly improve the lives of the patients we serve. Read my perspective on the future of quality medication use and how PQA is working to advance measures that improve outcomes for patients. More details are below, including a link to our July 23 webinar that shared insights on the litigation and legal landscape surrounding the Medicare Part D Star Ratings program.
We also highlight our members’ perspectives on adherence, clinical trials misperceptions and comprehensive medication management. If you have news you’d like for us to spotlight in an upcoming Five For Friday, send us an email!
— Micah Cost, PharmD, PQA Chief Executive Officer
Closing the Adherence Gap
Recently published analysis from PQS by Innovaccer examined year-end 2025 performance data across three PQA adherence measures: diabetes medications, RAS antagonists, and statins. The data explored pharmacy adherence performance and what separates high-performing networks from the rest.
Assessing Knowledge Gaps for Clinical Trials
A Patient Advocate Foundation survey revealed cancer patients’ knowledge gaps and misperceptions about clinical trials. The findings also shed light on some of the common barriers that prevent cancer patients from joining clinical trials. While practical barriers, such as time, location and insurance concerns, were common, trust and safety mattered too.
Elevating Pharmacists’ Role in Comprehensive Medication Management
University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy‘s Wendy St. Peter discussed how the new American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology cardio-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome guideline supports pharmacist-led comprehensive medication management (CMM) for patients with CKM syndrome. She explains how the guideline supports pharmacist-led medication management, staging tools, and deprescribing.
Quality Medication Use as an Imperative for the Health Care System
Over the last two decades, quality measurement has fundamentally transformed health care. What began as an effort to measure performance has evolved into something much more consequential: a mechanism for improving outcomes, driving accountability, and creating value for patients and the health care system.
While the progress is real and positive, the pressure facing health plans and providers today is significant. Consultants and experts across the health care industry continue to opine on the recent Clover Insurance Company vs. HHS court ruling and its possible impact on the future of the Medicare Part D Star Ratings program. However, the fact remains that medication-focused quality measures continue to represent some of the most important drivers of Part D Star Ratings performance, not just as standalone measures but as determinants of overall health outcomes. De-prioritizing quality medication use would inevitably lead to suboptimal care, worsening health outcomes, and a decline in overall quality and value across the spectrum.
Micah Cost’s July 13 blog provides more insights. Additionally, PQA members who missed or want to revisit the July 23 webinar on “Medicare Part D and Stars: Legal Actions, Recalculations and Impact” can access the recording via the PQA website Member Resources Library.
Your Next Engagement Opportunities
Network, Learn and Collaborate with PQA
- Join us for a PQA Quality Forum Webinar on August 6, 1-2 p.m. ET, focused onAI-Driven Medication Use Quality as a Vehicle for Value-Based Care: Insights From a Multi-State Health Plan. This webinar is an encore presentation from the highest-rated breakout session from the 2026 PQA Annual Meeting. Register here
- Join us for the 4th Quarter PQA Member Webinar on October 28, 1-2 p.m. ET. PQA Member Webinars share current quality measurement and research updates with members. This webinar will feature updates on PQA projects, commonly asked questions and engagement opportunities for members. Learn more.
- Save the date for the2026 PQA Leadership Summit, November 5-6, in Arlington, Va. The summit convenes thought leaders, key decision makers, and quality stakeholders and is an invitation-only event. PQA will also host apre-meeting workshop.