The evolutionary role of the pharmacy and therapeutics committee in technology assessment
Mehr, S.R.
Managed Care Interface 19(1): 42-45
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 1096-5645 PMID: 16453995 Document Number: 596658
The origins of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee is intertwined with the evolution of the modern practice of pharmacy. Although the P&T Committee has been uniquely developed to help make coverage decisions, this implies that its technology assessment function, particularly with regard to medicines, has paved the way to more cost-effective and evidence-based practice. This article, which briefly traces the lineage of the first known "formulary" employed during the Revolutionary War to today's P&T Committee, argues that its true function--technology assessment--serves as the basis for coverage decisions throughout health systems.