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URAC Director of Pharmacy Programs to Speak at Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Annual Meeting

Posted on: Thursday, 16 April 2009, 08:00 CDT

To Provide Overview of Pharmacy Benefit Management Accreditation Standards

WASHINGTON, April 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- URAC, the leading health care accreditation and education organization, announced today that Director of Pharmacy Programs Janice Anderson, RPh, has been selected to speak at the 21st Annual Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) Meeting, the largest assembly of pharmacy and health care professionals dedicated solely to the issues of managed care pharmacy. Ms. Anderson will discuss in importance of accreditation for Pharmacy Benefit Management (PBM) programs and provide insider tips on navigating the accreditation process.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030501/URACLOGO)

"Since the launch of our PBM accreditation program, we have received strong interest in the standards and we are pleased to find that organizations are dedicated to doing what is right for the consumer. These standards assure companies that they are receiving the highest quality products and services from health plans and PBM organizations," Ms. Anderson said. "We are honored to be part of the AMCP annual meeting. It is a great opportunity to discuss the value of accreditation with leading health care professionals and pharmacy benefit management companies so they can become more efficient and instill more confidence in the consumers they serve."

Since the implementation of the URAC Pharmacy Benefit Management Accreditation program in 2007, 20 companies have received or are in process for accreditation. The standards were developed by experts representing a wide range of experience in health care. To earn accreditation, URAC's independent evaluators must certify that a PBM operates efficiently and effectively, demonstrates its commitment to the highest level of standards for care, dedicates resources to quality improvement, and invests in clinical expertise and the oversight necessary for managing an effective program.

The accreditation standards include modules for organizational quality, customer service, communications, disclosure of pricing, pharmaceutical distribution channels, drug utilization management, formulary and pharmacy, and therapeutics committees.

"We know that negotiating and purchasing PBM services can be a complicated and confusing process," Ms. Anderson said. "By setting clear standards, we can help purchasers obtain the highest quality while ensuring access to drugs and pharmacies, patient safety, and disclosure of key contracting terms."

URAC enhanced the PBM Accreditation program with the recent release of the PBM Purchasers Guide: A Quality Management Toolkit, developed in partnership with the National Business Coalition on Health. The PBM Purchasers Guide provides essential information for individuals in the process of evaluating, purchasing or managing pharmacy benefit management services and empowers purchasers to make informed buying decisions.

The 21st Annual Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Meeting starts April 15 and runs through April 18 in Orlando, Florida. Ms. Anderson will present her session, "Achieving URAC PBM Accreditation", on Thursday, April 16 at 10:15 a.m. URAC will also have more information about their Pharmacy Benefit Management Accreditation program during the meeting at Booth #709.

About URAC

URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is well known as a leader in promoting health care quality through its accreditation and education programs. URAC offers a wide range of quality benchmarking programs and services that keep pace with the rapid changes in the health care system, and provide a symbol of excellence for organizations to validate their commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that all stakeholders are represented in establishing meaningful quality measures for the entire health care industry. For more information, visit www.urac.org.

Contact: Holly Campbell Levick Strategic Communications Phone: 202-973-1337 Email: hcampbell@levick.com

SOURCE URAC

Source: PR Newswire

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