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CONTACT:
Alven Weil
Premier Inc.
704.733.5797
Premier announces new Rational Choice Rx® Program; percutaneous coronary intervention toolkit for members
Comprehensive resource helps develop effective PCI management strategies
CHARLOTTE (March 4, 2008) – Premier Purchasing Partners, LP, has developed a new toolkit that will help Premier members create an effective pharmacy, clinical and cost management strategy for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). It is the third toolkit in Premier’s Rational Choice Rx® Program Drug Utilization Management series.
The resource provides useful tools that have been assembled from clinical literature as well as Premier staff and member experience. Components include practical hands-on approaches members can use to effectively manage the treatment of patients undergoing PCI, such as sample protocols and guidelines for the optimization of formulary and prescriptive practices for PCI-related drugs. Also included is supply information such as stent utilization, average supply costs per case, and clinical protocols for supply use.
Some drugs used in PCI management, such as the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists and direct thrombin inhibitors, represent significant costs in a typical hospital pharmacy budget. Consequently, these drug classes often require increased clinical and financial scrutiny to ensure optimal use. A cardiac catheterization lab component is included.
“The toolkit was developed in collaboration with our members and includes the tools, information, and features they need most to create an efficient, comprehensive PCI strategy,” said Karen Bertch, Pharm.D., FCCP, director of formulary development, Premier’s Rational Choice Rx® Program.
Marv Feldman, R.Ph., M.S., senior director, medication management group and managing principal, pharmacy consulting for Premier added, “The toolkit has been tested by dozens of pilot facilities and it will be updated as new information becomes available. Our members should find this to be a valuable resource to help effectively manage the clinical and financial impact of PCI-related medications.”
Premier's Rational Choice Rx Program continues to evolve as a drug utilization management approach program. A series of drug utilization modules/toolkits, each pertaining to a particular medication class or drug, will be released over time. Each will provide a forum and the necessary tools for participating institutions and facilities to create their own comprehensive strategies to appropriately manage the clinical utilization and financial impact of the medication class or drug in their institutions.
Each module is a value-added service to Premier members. Topics covered in previously released toolkits are proton pump inhibitors and erythropoietic growth factors.
About Premier Inc., 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
recipient
Serving 1,700 U.S. hospitals and more than 49,000 other healthcare sites,
the Premier healthcare alliance and its members are transforming healthcare
together. Owned by not-for-profit hospitals, Premier operates one of the
leading healthcare purchasing networks and the nation's most comprehensive
repository of hospital clinical and financial information. A subsidiary
operates one of the nation’s largest policy-holder owned, hospital
professional liability risk-retention groups. A world leader in helping
healthcare providers deliver dramatic improvements in care, Premier is
working with the United Kingdom’s National Health Service North West and the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to improve hospital performance.
Headquartered in San Diego, Premier has offices in Charlotte, N.C.,
Philadelphia, and Washington. For more information, visit
www.premierinc.com.