Consensus method to update the GINF formulary request form.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Pharmaceutical Policy

Background:

• The Guideline for the Introduction of New Drugs in the Formulary (GINF) form requires updates to reflect current evidence and user needs.
• Existing formulary request forms may not adequately capture essential information for drug evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To update the GINF form using the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method.
• To enhance the GINF form by integrating user feedback, scientific literature, and expert judgment.

Main Methods:

• A telephone survey with GINF form users and a literature review identified areas for improvement.
• An expert panel assessed scenarios derived from user feedback and literature.
• A consensus methodology, the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method, was employed.

Main Results:

• 52 improvement proposals were generated, focusing on form structure (31) and process (21).
• Six formulary request forms were reviewed from the scientific literature.
• The final GINF form version includes 24 assessed scenarios addressing clinical trial validity, qualitative assessment, and local drug implications.

Conclusions:

• A new, improved version of the GINF form has been successfully developed.
• The update integrates user opinions, scientific evidence, and international experiences.
• The RAND/UCLA appropriateness method ensured a rigorous, consensus-driven development process.