Based on the following abstract ( condensed summary of a research article ) , please answer the following questions : Abstract Title : Cost - Effectiveness Analysis of Medication Therapy Management Services Provided to Medicare Patients . Objective : The objective of this study was to determine the costs and effects of providing medication therapy management ( MTM ) services to Medicare patients for 1 year . Study Design : Redbud health plan is a health maintenance organization ( HMO ) located in Oklahoma . The HMO has a contract with Medicare as a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug ( MA - PD ) plan and provides both medical services ( Parts A and B ) as well as outpatient prescription drug coverage ( Part D ) to its Medicare members . Any patients predicted to spend $ 4,000 or more on outpatient prescriptions per year were defined as high - risk patients and MTM services were provided for these patients . MTM services at clinic A consisted of patient - specific educational mailings and the provision of a toll - free number to call for counseling services from licensed pharmacists at a centralized call center . MTM services at clinic B consisted of patient - specific educational mailings and face - to - face consultations with licensed pharmacists at their clinic . If patients at clinic B were not able to come to the clinic for face - to - face counseling ( e.g. , they were not ambulatory ) , pharmacists from clinic B would provide counseling over the phone . The perspective was that of the HMO . The costs of providing MTM services were measured based on the time to produce patient - specific letters , mailing costs , phone charges , and the pharmacists ' time spent counseling patients . Savings attributable to health care costs avoided and changes in medication costs as a result of the MTM services were also measured . All costs were based on 2008 cost estimates . Clinical outcomes were measured as the differences in SF - 36 mental and physical health component summary scores given at the beginning and the end of the year .

1. Was the title complete ?

2. What were the alternatives ? Were they appropriate ?

3. Were pharmacy services adequately defined ?

4. Was discounting needed ? Was it conducted ?

5. Was a sensitivity analysis conducted ? If so , on what variables ?