Medication Optimization for Long-Term Care & Skilled Nursing Facilities

Supporting safer medication use, better resident outcomes, and age-friendly care

Long-term care and skilled nursing facilities care for some of the most medically complex individuals in healthcare.

Residents often live with multiple chronic conditions, see multiple providers, and take numerous medications that change over time. While every member of the care team plays an important role, it can be difficult to consistently step back and evaluate how the full medication picture is affecting a resident's safety, quality of life, and overall outcomes.

Complete Care Consult provides independent, pharmacist-led medication optimization services that help facilities identify risks, support regulatory and quality initiatives, and align medication decisions with what matters most to residents.

As medication regimens become more complex, so do the risks.

Medication-related issues can contribute to:

  • Falls and mobility challenges

  • Confusion, cognitive changes, and delirium

  • Unnecessary hospitalizations and emergency department visits

  • Increased medication burden

  • Reduced participation in activities and social engagement

  • Declining quality of life

Many medication reviews are performed remotely and at high volume, limiting opportunities to understand how medications are affecting residents day-to-day.

Important details often never make it into the medical record.

A resident may be experiencing dizziness, excessive fatigue, increased bathroom trips, or difficulty participating in activities—but unless someone asks the right questions, those concerns can remain hidden.

A more comprehensive approach to medication optimization

Complete Care Consult operates independently from dispensing pharmacies, allowing for a deeper and more personalized approach to medication management.

Through face-to-face resident visits and collaboration with facility staff and providers, we help identify medication-related issues that may otherwise go unnoticed.

This work focuses on:

  • Medication optimization for medically complex residents

  • Polypharmacy and deprescribing opportunities

  • Identification of medication-related risks

  • Fall risk reduction strategies

  • Support for cognitive and behavioral health goals

  • Medication safety and quality improvement initiatives

  • Transitions of care support

  • Collaborative practice agreement services when available

Rather than focusing solely on medications themselves, the goal is to understand how medications are impacting the person taking them.

Supporting age-friendly care and quality initiatives

As healthcare continues moving toward Age-Friendly Health Systems and value-based care models, facilities are increasingly focused on outcomes that matter to both residents and organizations.

Complete Care Consult helps support initiatives related to:

  • What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility (the 4Ms)

  • Quality measure improvement

  • Medication-related risk reduction

  • Resident-centered care planning

  • Hospitalization prevention efforts

  • Quality assurance and performance improvement activities

  • Regulatory and compliance support

Medication decisions influence nearly every aspect of resident care. By integrating medication optimization into broader quality initiatives, facilities can better support both resident well-being and organizational goals.

When medications are better aligned with resident goals and clinical needs, facilities often see corresponding improvements in quality measures tied to medication use, falls, hospitalizations, psychotropic medications, and other resident outcomes.

While quality metrics should never drive care decisions alone, thoughtful medication optimization often supports both resident well-being and organizational performance.

An extension of your care team

This work is designed to complement—not replace—the services already being provided by physicians, nurses, consultant pharmacists, and dispensing pharmacies.

Complete Care Consult serves as an additional clinical resource focused on connecting the dots across medications, conditions, providers, and resident goals.

By providing an objective and independent perspective, facilities gain access to a clinical partner who can devote the time needed to investigate concerns, communicate recommendations, and support implementation.

What this work makes possible

When medication decisions are aligned with resident goals and clinical realities, facilities may experience:

  • Reduced medication-related risk

  • Improved resident quality of life

  • Better alignment with age-friendly care principles

  • Enhanced support for quality measures

  • Greater confidence among residents, families, and staff

  • Fewer avoidable medication-related complications

  • More coordinated communication across the care team

  • Enhanced support for quality measures and performance initiatives

  • Improved alignment between resident outcomes and organizational goals

The goal is more than simply managing medications.

The goal is helping residents live as safely, independently, and comfortably as possible while supporting the teams who care for them.

Partnering with Complete Care Consult has been one of the most impactful decisions for our facility. Their services have strengthened our interdisciplinary efforts, improved medication safety, and helped us stay aligned with regulatory standards.
— Richard Lynch, BSN, RN, Director of Nursing, St. Luke Lutheran Community
The collaborative practice model significantly increased pharmacist engagement with residents, reduced administrative burden on staff and prescribers, accelerated deprescribing efforts, and enabled more timely, patient-centered interventions.
— Kathleen Langer-Champlin, CDP, LNHA, Administrator

Let’s Start a Conversation

If your organization is exploring medication optimization, age-friendly care implementation, quality improvement initiatives, or additional clinical pharmacy support, Complete Care Consult would welcome the opportunity to learn more about your goals.