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Study to seek reduced-cost drugs for poor Medicaid recipients in South Carolina could benefit from improved drug treatment and reduced-cost based on a novel program undertaken by the South Carolina College of Pharmacy (SCCP).   SCCP recently was awarded a $1.98-million grant by the S.C. Department of Health and Human Services to implement an educational outreach program to improve the drug therapy regimens of Medicaid beneficiaries diagnosed with mental health disorders, HIV/AIDS or cancer. It is the first such initiative in the Southeast and among the first in the nation.   The project will focus on about 60,000 clients and their prescribing physicians as part of the detailing program. The study will involve extensive records review and consultations with prescribing physicians. It is intended to ensure that Medicaid clients are receiving clinically appropriate, cost-effective medications.     In the past few years, Medicaid prescriptions and expenditures have grown dramatically in South Carolina but with no clear evidence of improved health.     “There have been a number of interventions to reduce the rising expenditures for Medicaid prescription drugs, but high-quality care is the goal of this project,” said Randall Rowen, interim dean of the USC campus of the pharmacy college. “In some cases, higher-priced drugs are the most effective and might be recommended in place of a lower-cost alternative. What we’re looking for is the best drug therapy for each client.”         Faculty and staff in the SCCP will conduct the detailing project with assistance from professional pharmacists contracted by the college. In addition, field educators will meet with physicians to discuss optimal drug therapies for different medical conditions.     “Prescription drugs are the second largest piece of the Medicaid program’s overall budget. Unfortunately, we know that higher drug utilization is not always translating into better health outcomes for our recipients,” said Robert M. Kerr, director of the S.C. Department of Health and Human Services. “The South Carolina College of Pharmacy’s academic detailing project is promising, because it seeks to optimize our investment by providing the kind of unbiased, research-based drug information physicians need. By making more informed choices, physicians can provide better care for Medicaid patients and help ensure taxpayer dollars are being used wisely. We look forward to this unique collaboration with the College of Pharmacy and believe it will help create a healthier South Carolina.”     The patient-centered program involves close collaboration of the two state agencies by combining resources to improve the healthcare of South Carolina Medicaid beneficiaries.   “The South Carolina College of Pharmacy will provide a valuable service to the medical community by providing an independent, trusted and informed source of information,” said Raymond Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., MUSC president. “This is a wonderful opportunity to partner with the Department of Health and Human Services as well as physicians and pharmacists around the state.”     The two-year academic detailing initiative will employ a team of clinical pharmacist educators who will develop professional relationships with physicians to encourage best practices to promote quality, evidence-based and cost-effective drug therapy in Medicaid beneficiaries. Executive Dean Joseph DiPiro said, “We view this as an important way that the College can support prescribers and help them make the most informed decisions on drug treatment.”   If successful, the two-year project might be renewed and include other entities such as the S.C. State Health Plan. The project might also be expanded to include additional therapeutic categories of drugs.     SCCP represents unified, advanced pharmacy research and education at the campuses of MUSC and the University of South Carolina in Columbia.     Friday, Nov. 10, 2006 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.