SC program seeks to lower Medicaid drug costs

Researchers at the South Carolina College of Pharmacy (SCCP) are kicking off a program designed to improve drug therapy and lower costs for Medicaid patients diagnosed with cancer, mental health issues and HIV. Over the next two years, SCCP will hire and deploy a team of clinical pharmacist educators, whose job will be to work with physicians to fine-tune these patients' drug regimen. SCCP was awarded $2 million from the state's Department of Health and Human Services to launch the initiative. While the program announcement gives lip service to quality and evidence-based medicine, the SCCP said that one goal of the program is to limit use of high-cost drugs, so I assume doctors will be pressured to choose lower-cost alternatives. Whether those alternatives are best for the patients will doubtless be cause for debate.

Find out more about the program:
- read this release from the SCCP

Related Article:
States conduct Medicaid experiments. Article

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