DEEP, the South Dakota Medicaid drug use review program. Is the hassle justified?

Governmentally-mandated programs are a fact of life in health care. Such programs are often considered "hassles" by health care providers, who sometimes question whether such programs can justify themselves. The South Dakota Drug Evaluation and Education Program (DEEP) is a federally-mandated program of drug use review for Medicaid patients. While the program does not mandate changes in therapy, review of the program's first year of data indicates it caused change in 68.1% of the cases resulting in benefits which include a reduction in unnecessary/unneeded medication.