Practice guidelines and drug-usage evaluation.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Pharmacy Practice
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Growing interest in developing more rigorous and clinically sound medical practice guidelines.
• Federal legislation is driving the adoption of these guidelines in healthcare.
• Pharmacy managers need to understand these developments for drug therapy management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the evolving landscape of medical practice guidelines.
• To emphasize the importance of appropriateness of drug therapy and drug-utilization review.
• To discuss the future role of pharmacy in quality assurance.

Main Methods:

• Review of current trends in medical practice guideline development.
• Analysis of the impact of federal legislation on healthcare quality.
• Discussion of the evolution of drug-utilization review programs.

Main Results:

• Practice guidelines are becoming more rigorous and clinically sound.
• A shift is occurring from drug-utilization review to diagnosis-based, outcome-focused quality assurance systems.
• The role of pharmacy managers is crucial in adapting to these changes.

Conclusions:

• The evolution of practice guidelines necessitates adaptation within pharmacy departments.
• Competent pharmacy practitioners remain essential for ensuring appropriate pharmaceutical care.
• The institutional pharmacist's role is increasingly vital due to rising patient acuity and rapid medical advancements.