American Physical Therapy Association Position
PHARMACOLOGY IN PHYSICAL THERAPIST PRACTICE

Physical therapist patient/client management integrates an understanding of a patient’s/client’s prescription and nonprescription medication regimen with consideration of its impact upon health, impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities.  The administration and storage of medications used for physical therapy interventions is also a component of patient/client management and thus within the scope of physical therapist practice.

Physical therapy interventions that may require the concomitant use of medications include, but are not limited to, agents that:

• Reduce pain and/or inflammation
• Promote integumentary repair and/or protection
• Facilitate airway clearance and/or ventilation and respiration
• Facilitate adequate circulation and/or metabolism
• Facilitate functional movement.

HOD P06-04-14-14 (Program 32) [Initial HOD 06-89-43-89] [Medications in the Provision of Physical Therapy] [Position] – American Physical Therapy Association, www.apta.org

• The final Briggs National Quality Improvement/ Hospitalization Reduction Study has been completed and the full report is now available. The study, which was launched to determine the best practices used by home health agencies to reduce patient re-hospitalizations, was sponsored by the Briggs Corp. and cosponsored by National Association of Home Care (NAHC) and Fazzi Associates. A copy of the study is available from the NAHC website: www.nahc.org.

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) updated it Home Health Compare website. This consumer based site allows people to see the names and selected information of Home Care Agencies in their area.
  You can search by state, then specify county, zip code and many other options. Home health agencies for the Home Health Quality Measures demonstration now sit holding their breadth. CMS posted key outcomes scores by HHA in the eight pilot statest on its public Web site, plus contact information for every Medicare certified HHA in the country

• MedPAC discusses and makes recommendations on studies and opinions that CMS puts into action. It is a great way to hear what might happen in the future. On the top bar, go to Site Map and scroll down to Home Health