Medication therapy management (MTM) services were launched in 2006 as part of Medicare Prescription Drug (Part D) to enhance older adult patient understanding of appropriate medication use, increase adherence to medication regimens, and improve the discovery of adverse drug events among the chronically ill aging population. The appointment-based medication synchronization model is a medication adherence service, which includes a comprehensive medication review appointment with a pharmacist and alignment of the patient monthly chronic medications to a predetermined single pickup date. By leveraging large Medicare, MTM claims and medication-synchronization pharmacy provider data, we evaluated how access to MTM and medication-synchronization services varies by older adult health disparity population (i.e., racial/ethnic minority, rural, and socioeconomically disadvantaged) and how SDOH barriers impact service delivery. We applied Andersen’s Behavior Model to characterize MTM and medication-synchronization service utilization and the Chronic Care model to identify positive deviant strategies for MTM delivery. Collectively this work has contributed to policy recommendations to address SDOH barriers and unintended disparities.
We are identifying and prioritizing SDOH associated with medication adherence among a nationally representative sample of older adults with hypertension, high cholesterol, and/or diabetes in the US. We hypothesized that structural and intermediary determinants would be associated with medication adherence. We are also characterizing SDOH, estimating medication adherence, and describing implications for health disparity populations among older adults in the US diagnosed with hypertension, high cholesterol, and/or diabetes.
Our aging research with CICOA Aging and In-Home Solutions intersects with our CHW work. Check out a full description of our work with CICOA HERE
Through our work with the Indiana Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (IADRC) Outreach and Engagement Core—which builds partnerships between researchers and communities to improve awareness, access, and participation in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) research—and the Community Advisory Board, we focus on reducing disparities in early detection and research participation in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Our approach integrates community-engaged research and implementation science to address structural and relational barriers that contribute to delayed diagnosis, including mistrust, referral inequities, and limited access to cognitive screening and biomarker research. In partnership with community stakeholders, we co-develop strategies that expand access, strengthen trust, and ensure research is responsive to the needs of underrepresented populations.
This work supports the development of scalable recruitment and engagement models that broaden access to participation in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias research and support earlier.
Publications
Raelly-Muze L, Etchison T@, Crouch A, Eliacin J, Polsinelli A, Gao S, Van Heiden S, Asper J, Elliott C, Richards R, Richards M, Campbell C, Hendrie H, Shaw P, Adeoye-Olatunde O, Risacher S, Saykin A, Wang S. Association between Trust of Researchers and Willingness to Participate in Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarker Research.
Alzheimers Dement Behav Socioecon Aging. 2025 Sep;1(3):e70024. doi: 10.1002/bsa3.70024. Epub 2025 Jul 1. PMID: 40852489; PMCID: PMC12369659.Coe AB, Adeoye-Olatunde OA, Pestka DL, Snyder ME, Zillich AJ, Farris KB, Farley JF. Patterns and predictors of older adult Medicare Part D beneficiaries’ receipt of medication therapy management. Res Social Adm Pharm. 2020 Sep;16(9):1208-1214. PubMed PMID: 31859225.
Noureldin, M., Coe, A. B., DeLellis, T., Clifford, K. M., Freire-Cobo, C., Reilly, M., Campbell, A. M., Nagy, M. W., Adeoye-Olatunde, O. A., Sharma, M. Sadowski, C. A. (2025). The state of the academic pharmacy workforce specializing in geriatrics. Gerontol Geriatr Educ. 2025 Feb: 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701960.2025.2466199
Adeoye-Olatunde OA, Hastings T, Blakely M, Boyd L, #Aina A, Sherbeny F. Social determinants of health and medication adherence in older adults with prevalent chronic conditions in the United States: An analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2018. Pharmacy. 2025 Feb; 13(1), 20; doi: 10.3390/pharmacy13010020
Richards R, Richards M, Musema J, Tackett A, Van Heiden S, Polsinelli A, Gao S, Brown SA, Unverzagt FW, Risacher S, Adeoye-Olatunde O, Campbell C, Shaw P, Saykin A, Wang S. Developing and applying potentially scalable recruitment strategies to accelerate ADRD research participation of Black adults. Alzheimer’s & Dement. 2025 Feb; 21:e14440. doi:10.1002/alz.14440
Chan CK, Lane KA, Gao S, Adeoye-Olatunde OA, Biber S, Glover CM, Johnson DK, Risacher SL, Saykin AJ, Wang S. Referral source across racial and ethnic groups at Alzheimer’s disease research centers. J Alzheimers Dis. 2024 Oct;101(4):1167-1176. doi:10.3233/JAD-240485
- Blakely M, Sherbeny F, Hastings TJ, Boyd L, Adeoye-Olatunde OA. Exploratory analysis of medication adherence and social determinants of health among older adults with diabetes. Explor. Res. Clin. Soc. Pharm. 2023 Dec; 12:100371. doi: 10.1016/j.rcsop.2023.100