Wyoming Drug Utilization Review Board Minutes

March 31, 2005

Laramie, Wyoming

11a.m.-3p.m.

 

Members Present: Kendra Grande, Richard Johnson, Mike Carpenter, Lenny Kosirog, Bill Harrison, Dean Winsch, Scott Johnston, Antoinette Brown, Deb Devereaux, Steve Brown, Bill Keenan

 

Members Excused: Becky Drnas, George Zaharas, Roxanne Homar

 

Guests: Brittani Parks (UW pharmacy student), Chris Meyer (UW Pharmacy student), Raquel Romero (UW pharmacy Student)

 

I.                   Minutes of the January 27, 2005 meeting were approved as corrected.

II.                Department of Health

Prior authorization-the Board agreed that for the PPIs, a trial of one preferred agent would be the criteria. Statistically, the most requests by class are as follows: PPIs, CoxIIs, CaChannel Blockers, Narcotics. PPI costs have declined from $110/claim to $91/claim. ACEI costs have declined from $33/claim to $25/claim.  There is a $10.16 administrative fee per PA claim.

 

PDL-schedule to be announced after Aimee’s return

 

A 116 page cost report was recently completed for the Governor’s office. The pharmacy program costs are presently contained due to the effects of PA and PDL over the past 18 months.

 

Medicare Drug Benefit-barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and OTCs will not be covered by the program. The analysis of the duals is appended to the minutes.

 

III.             New Board Members

Dr. Jane Robinett and Dr. Kurt Hopfensperger will be joining the WYDUR Board as physician members. Their first meeting will be the July meeting in Laramie.

 

IV.             Presentations

Brittani Parks presented “Dose Conversion to Felodipine from other Dihydropyridine Calcium Channel Blockers” which is appended to the minutes. There are no definitive conversion studies-all the information points to dependence on prescriber clinical judgment and monitoring.

 

Raquel Romero and Chris Meyer presented prescriber and patient information on amiodarone. Presently the FDA requires that a package insert be given to all patients on the drug. The report is appended to the minutes.

 

V.                Other

1.      The Board requested written guidance on Board liability for PA appeal decisions and general Board liability.

2.      Newsletter suggestions: acquire CME accreditation and make available on-line, recommended web-sites for patient information.

3.      Kendra will coordinate conversion article for web-site and newsletter (conversions for other than PDL preferred agents in all classes)

4.      A letter will be sent to providers about the black box warning for Eladyl and Protopic use.

5.      What is usage of gabitril? What is it being used for at what cost?

6.      Lunesta is new sedative/hypnotic approved for long term use.

7.      www. Mtmedicaid.org is website for Montana PDL list. Montana does not use specific criteria for non preferred drugs rather the program relies on submissions from prescribers and the clinical judgment of the PA staff.

 

VI.             Alert changes

#488 suppress-thiazides and diabetes

#00041 suppress

#00310 delete –benzodiazepines and COPD

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

Debra S. Devereaux MBA, FASHP

WYDUR Manager