Managed Competition and Pharmaceutical Care

Book excerpt: As the debate on health care delivery systems in the U.S. continues, the pharmaceutical industry and pharmaceutical care delivery system may well be faced with making significant changes if new drug regulations are enacted. Because there is little discussion on the effects of managed competition on the pharmaceutical care delivery system and the education of pharmacists, those involved in providing pharmaceutical care must arm themselves with the background information and ideas explored in Managed Competition and Pharmaceutical Care. The contributors to this vital sourcebook address these key questions: What are the major components of a managed competition system? What challenges will industry and the pharmaceutical care delivery system face? How should the industry re-engineer--using systems management as opposed to components management--to meet the needs of an evolving health care system? What actions should pharmaceutical companies take to survive difficult days in the future? Why and how should pharmacists move from dispensing drugs to providing total pharmaceutical care? What do employers want for their prescription benefit dollars? How have past and present initiatives to control drug pricing affected the pharmaceutical marketplace? Why is regulating prices not a satisfactory solution to containing health care costs? What criteria are used to determine whether to include a drug in a managed care formulary? How can community pharmacists compete in the marketplace, regardless of which health care system emerges? What is the future likely to bring and how can pharmacists prepare for that future? Managed Competition and Pharmaceutical Care assists those involved in the pharmaceutical care delivery system to prepare for and embrace new, or at the least, drastically changed health care delivery in the coming years.