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Critical New Resource Cuts Through Complexities in Prescription Drug Payment Systems -- AMCP Releases Analysis of Current Payment Methods

Posted on: Wednesday, 17 October 2007, 15:00 CDT

The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) has released a one-of-a-kind resource that sheds light on the complex methodologies of prescription drug payment systems. The Guide to Pharmaceutical Payment Methods provides an unbiased description and analysis of the multiple of methods used by many public and private sector programs to purchase pharmaceutical products and pay the providers who prescribe and dispense them.

State and federal governments have and will continue to be making changes in public drug benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. It is clear that changes to public sector programs will eventually affect payment methods employed in the private sector. "Debate and discussion about problems within the U.S. health care system are abundant and will continue to escalate as the presidential election year draws near," said Judith Cahill, executive director of AMCP. "There is great diversity in types of prescription drug payment methods and they can be very complicated. In the current policy climate, it's vital that decision makers, including legislators, regulators, stakeholders and even interested consumers understand the significance of future prescription drug policy decisions. Our goal is for this Guide to help these interested parties to understand the way the system works as proposals to change current payment methods are debated."

This unprecedented effort by AMCP to study drug payment methods currently used across the U.S. has resulted in an interactive web library and publication of the Guide to Pharmaceutical Payment Methods, released today. The Guide seeks to serve as an educational resource for understanding the terminology and interrelated structures of these payment methods; it is factual and does not advocate or propose specific recommendations.

"We believe that by using managed care tools to carefully administer precious resources, we can ensure that more patients have access to prescription drugs," said Cahill. "We hope that policy-makers, decision-makers, health plan executives, and all other stakeholders involved in this arena will find the information useful as decisions are made and systems continues to evolve."

To access the Guide and the interactive drug library, go to: www.amcp.org.

The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) is a national professional association of pharmacists and other health care practitioners who serve society by the application of sound medication management principles and strategies to improve health care for all. The Academy's 5,000 members develop and provide a diversified range of clinical, educational and business management services and strategies on behalf of the more than 200 million Americans covered by a managed care pharmacy benefit. More news and information about AMCP can be obtained on its website, at www.amcp.org.

Source: Business Wire

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