Newsroom

NPC Updates - June, 2006

This Issue:

• New Resources from NPC
• "Your Pharmacy Benefit" Resources Available in both English and Spanish

New Resources from NPC:

NPC is pleased to announce a new feature on our Web site, "In the News", providing you with news from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare.gov, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the policy journal Health Affairs, all in one convenient location. Click the link above, or just go to www.npcnow.org and click the "In the News" tab on the menu bar to see more.

In addition, the following publications are now available from NPC:

Clinical and Economic Advantages of Modern Dosage Forms: Improving Medication Adherence, by Albert Wertheimer, MBA, PhD, 2006
A substantial source of waste and inefficiency in health care is patient non-adherence with medications. This monograph highlights the role of modern drug delivery technologies in helping to improve adherence by simplifying the dosing regimen, and/or decreasing side effects. Other advantages include steadier drug concentrations in the bloodstream and targeted delivery of medication to its site of therapeutic action in the body.

Drug Delivery Systems Improve Pharmaceutical Profile and Facilitate Medication Adherence, by Albert I. Wertheimer, MBA, PhD, et al., Advances in Therapy, Vol. 22, No. 6, November/December 2005
Innovations in dosage forms and dose delivery systems across a wide range of medications offer substantial clinical advantages, including reduced dosing frequency and improved patient adherence; minimized fluctuation of drug concentrations and maintenance of blood levels within a desired range; localized drug delivery; and the potential for reduced adverse effects and increased safety. Although advanced formulations may be more expensive than conventional dosage forms, they often have a more favorable pharmacologic profile and can be cost-effective. Inclusion of these dosage forms on drug formularies may help patients remain on therapy and reduce the economic and social burden of care. This file is posted here with permission of Health Communications Inc., the publisher of Advances in Therapy®. It is provided for individual use only and may not be used for commercial distribution.

"Your Pharmacy Benefit" Resources Available in both English and Spanish:

When choosing a health plan, most consumers check the cost and also make sure their personal doctor is in the new plan’s network. But they may overlook equally important concerns, especially whether the prescription medicines they are taking are affordable and accessible. Once a consumer has chosen and enrolled in a plan, it is important to know how to troubleshoot problems that may arise and could become obstacles to accessing needed medicines.

Helpful advice is available in both English and Spanish for those with prescription drug coverage through an employer, union, or other group plan, or who are eligible for prescription drug coverage under Medicare.

A 16-page booklet titled "Your Pharmacy Benefit: Make it Work for You!" is available by calling 1-888-878-3256 (item # 524 for English and item #820 for Spanish).
Information on making informed decisions about prescription drug coverage is available online in English at www.YourPharmacyBenefit.org, and in Spanish at www.YourPharmacyBenefit.org/Spanish.

Both of these resources guide consumers through important questions to ask and things to consider when choosing a plan, and offers tips for troubleshooting problems filling prescriptions once enrolled in a plan. A sample appeal letter is included.