Dr. Gary Puckrein, NMQF, participated in a 10min interview yesterday with Henry Hinton, host of “talk of the town” on WTIB-FM 103.7 Greenville, NC. Dr. Puckrein noted the state shouldn’t be implementing a PDL (Preferred Drug List). But, since the state plans to move forward, the physician advisory panel should ensure that:

• Patients get appropriate care/care they need so they don’t wind up in the hospital and drive costs up
• The process is transparent
• The system tracks health outcomes and
• The panel needs to be diverse – a wide range of voices, patient voices and others.

Hinton noted NC’s history of open access to prescriptions medications in Medicaid and Puckrein commented that limiting access is “penny wise and pound foolish.” Puckrein also said this has implication beyond Medicaid and that it’s “trying to balance budgets on patient’s lives”. He used the example of diabetes to illustrate the importance of individualized medicine; however, payers are implementing “fail first” protocols and prior-authorizations requirements while patients suffer.

*The Census Bureau. Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2009.
†Each cardholder’s savings depend on such factors as the particular drug purchased, amount purchased, and the pharmacy where purchased. Participating companies independently set the level of savings offered and the products included in the program. Those decisions are subject to change.