OBJECTIVE Prescription-drug diversion is a topic about which comparatively little is known, and systematic information garnered from prescription-drug abusers and dealers on the specific mechanisms of diversion is extremely limited. DESIGN A pilot ultrarapid assessment was carried out in Wilmington, Delaware, during December 2006 to better understand the scope and dynamics of prescription-dru...

Prescription drug management plans are outpatient drug benefit programs that strive to manage the cost effective and clinically appropriate delivery of prescription drugs to beneficiaries. The demand for accountability and a means to evaluate performance of drug benefit management programs is growing; nevertheless, a set of valid, standardized indicators for evaluating performance does not exis...

(1) Medicare beneficiaries reduced their drug spending in response to interruptions in prescription coverage prior to the implementation of the Part D benefit. (2) Interruptions in drug coverage were amplified, as a response to gaps in prescription drug coverage, for those suffering from chronic conditions. (3) Trends in spending and medication utilization by Medicare beneficiaries in this stud...

Introduction P harmaceuticals are a critical element of modern medical treatment, yet the traditional Medicare benefits package does not include coverage of outpatient prescription drugs. This omission is significant because the 38.1 million people who comprise the Medicare population are disproportionately likely to use drugs.The elderly represent 14 percent of the U.S. population but account ...

Introduction P harmaceuticals are an integral part of modern medical treatment, often improving quality of life and reducing the need for hospitalization, yet the traditional Medicare benefits package does not include coverage of outpatient prescription drugs.When Medicare was created in 1965, insurance coverage for prescription drugs was not standard and fewer effective pharmaceutical treatmen...

Correct prescription writing habits could have a great influence on the fate of drug therapy as well as the health of patients. One of the major types of errors in prescriptions is the "errors of commission". In this study attempts were made to examine 519 prescriptions of the internal ward of Ayatollah Taleghani teaching hospital over a period of 3 months in terms of the nature and extent of t...

Estimating spending for prescription drugs has become increasingly difficult over the past 15 years as extensive changes have taken place within the retail prescription drug industry. Expenditures for prescription drugs in retail outlets grew rapidly during the 1980s and early 1990s. New retail outlets emerged and existing sites lost market share. New mechanisms for reimbursing drug purchases l...