Managed Care Pharmacy Issues

Sponsored webinar that discussed advances in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology.

Sponsored webinar that discussed advances in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology.

Sponsored webinar that provided an overview of insomnia disorder and the current challenges in adequately treating patients.

AMCP webinar that reviewed a summary of discussions from this summit.

AMCP webinar that reviewed a summary of discussions from this summit.

AMCP CEO Blog: With PA so often misunderstood, perhaps we need to do a better job of explaining this tool to the general public. For example, we might provide an example of how PAs are applied to opioids as additional safeguards to ensure their appropriate use. Or how a PA might be applied to botulinum toxin to ensure the prescription is for medical, rather than cosmetic, purposes.

Recognizing the widespread and devastating nature of the opioid crisis, AMCP formed the Addiction Treatment Advisory Group in 2015 based on the recommendation from the AMCP Partnership Forum, Breaking the Link between Pain Management and Opioid Use Disorder.

AMCP CEO Blog: We live in an interconnected world where the marketplace for all things is global. But we must also make sure the global system works for the benefit of the patients we serve. That includes taking steps to ensure the long-term stability and integrity of our critical pharmaceutical supply chain.

Population health management (PHM) is a key concept in managed care. Improving population health, enhancing the patient experience, and reducing per capita cost are the primary goals of a philosophy called the Triple Aim. PHM extends beyond healthcare organizations, requiring the cooperation of other types of institutions, such as public health departments and social service entities.

The purpose of outcomes research per the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is to assist patients, clinicians, purchasers and policy makers in making informed health decisions by advancing quality and relevance of evidence. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) defines the purpose of outcomes research as a tool to provide evidence about benefits, risks, and results of treatments so clinicians and patients can make more informed decisions.

Health plans, employers and government-sponsored health care programs are focusing their attention on optimizing patient outcomes through the use of medications that have established evidence of efficacy and safety, while providing the highest value.

Disease management is the concept of reducing health care costs and improving quality of life for individuals with chronic conditions by preventing or minimizing the effects of the disease through integrated care. Disease management programs are designed to improve the health of persons with chronic conditions and reduce associated costs from avoidable complications by identifying and treating chronic conditions more quickly and more effectively, thus slowing the progression of those diseases.