Challenges in Formulary Management Across Patient Populations and Practice Settings

Moderator: Perry Cohen, PharmD, The Pharmacy Group, LLC, Glastonburg, Connecticut.

Representatives from diverse practice settings described their process for formulary management within their individual practice settings.

Speaker: Joseph B. Fox, MD, Vice President, The Healthcare Group

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Health Policy Update

Speaker: Rex Cowdry, MD, MPH, Associate Director, National Economic Council.

The market for health care poses a number of challenges for proponents of competitive markets, even though the markets have immensely desirable features in terms of incentives to enhance quality, control costs, and develop innovative approaches to treatment and to the organization and financing of care. The prospects for an effective market have never been brighter. For our current health care system to be transformed, the following crucial elements are needed: appropriate incen­tives, transparent quality and cost measures, and a robust health information technology system. The vital components of this vision must also include P&T committees, well-designed formulary incentives, and technology assessments.

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The Impact of P&T Committee Decision Strategies: Prescription to Over-the-Counter Switches

Speaker: Celynda Tadlock, PharmD, MBA, Director of Corporate Clinical Business Operations, Wellpoint Pharmacy Management, West Hills, California.

Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are an undervalued resource for several reasons:

• They are easily accessible to consumers.
• They are at least as effective as many prescribed drugs.
• The FDA’s standards for approving OTC drugs are the same as those for prescription drugs.
• Prescription strengths are relatively rare, so they are generally safe.
• Consumers like to use them, because doing so enables them to actively participate in their own care.

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Speaker: Burton Orland, RPh, Vice President of Pharmacy, Oxford Health Plans, Inc.

There is an opportunity for improving health care for patients with the following chronic diseases: asthma, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. In keeping with the PTS report, the “practice of excellence” in patient care would involve selecting the appropriate medication and developing and implementing programs aimed at ensuring the appropriate use of medications to improve quality of life.

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