(PRESS RELEASE)

Phoenix, AZ, January 5, 2018 — The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)  announced in late-December that they have approved six quality measures that were developed by the American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT). These are the first-ever medical toxicology quality measures approved by CMS, and are now among hundreds of measures that physicians can report to CMS as part of their Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) program.  

CMS also certified ACMT’s Toxicology Investigators Consortium (ToxIC) Registry as a Qualified  Clinical Data Registry (QCDR). ToxIC, founded in 2010, is a unique multicenter toxico surveillance and research network comprised of physicians specifically qualified in the field of medical toxicology. Using the ToxIC QCDR, medical toxicologists can now choose from ten reporting measures when participating in this important quality improvement program.  

“The QCDR designation is instrumental to help medical toxicologists and other providers improve patient care,” said ACMT Executive Director, Paul Wax, MD. 

The six CMS-approved measures include: 

• Screening for risk of opioid misuse 
• Pregnancy test in women who receive toxicologic consult 
• EKG assessment in acute overdose 
• Treatment for acetaminophen ingestions 
• Assessment of suspected ethylene glycol or methanol exposures 
• Repeat assessment of salicylate concentrations in overdose patients 

With these measures, physician medical toxicologists can accurately report on the treatment of common poisonings such as acetaminophen and salicylate poisonings as well as screening for evidence of opioid abuse. 

“In a rapidly evolving healthcare system that is moving quickly toward quality-based payment,  this is an important step for ACMT to guide our members and medical toxicologists across the country,” adds ACMT President, Charles McKay, MD. 

Learn more about the measures at: toxicregistry.org/ToxIC_QCDR_Measure_Specifications.html

ACMT—Advancing the Toxicological Care of Poisoned Patients and Populations
The American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT) is a professional, nonprofit association of more than 700 physicians with recognized expertise in medical toxicology. Medical toxicology focuses on the diagnosis, management, and prevention of poisoning/toxicity and other adverse  health effects resulting from medications, chemicals, occupational and environmental substances and biological hazards.