title: INTEGRATING HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT PRINCIPLES IN FORMULARY MANAGEMENT.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Effective formulary management in healthcare institutions safeguards rational drug use and optimizes health outcomes. We implemented a formulary management program integrating the principles of health technology assessment (HTA) to improve the safe, appropriate, and cost-effective use of medicine in Singapore.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 3-year formulary management program was initiated in 2011 in five public healthcare institutions. This program was managed by a project team comprising HTA researchers. The project team worked with institutional pharmacy and therapeutics (P&T) committees to: (i) develop tools for formulary drug review and decision making; (ii) enhance the HTA knowledge and skills of formulary pharmacists and members of P&T committees; (iii) devise a prioritization framework to overcome resource constraints and time pressure; and (iv) conceptualize and implement a framework to review existing formulary.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tools that facilitate drug request submission, drug review, and decision making were developed for formulary drug inclusion. A systematic framework to review existing formulary was also developed and tested in selected institutions. A competency development plan was rolled out over 2 years to enhance formulary pharmacists' proficiency in systematic literature search and review, meta-analysis, and pharmacoeconomic evaluation. The plan comprised training workshops and on-the-job knowledge transfer between the project team and institutional formulary pharmacists through collaborating on selected drug reviews. A resource guide that consolidated the tools and templates was published to encourage the adoption of best practices in formulary management.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the concepts of HTA, we implemented an evidence-based approach to optimize formulary management.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy & Therapeutics Office,Group Corporate Development,National Healthcare GroupMonica_Teng@nhg.com.sg.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy & Therapeutics Office,Group Corporate Development,National Healthcare Group.
authors.forename: Ai Leng
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Khoo
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy & Therapeutics Office,Group Corporate Development,National Healthcare Group.
authors.forename: Ying Jiao
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy & Therapeutics Office,Group Corporate Development,National Healthcare Group.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy & Therapeutics Office,Group Corporate Development,National Healthcare Group.
authors.forename: Boon Peng
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D016527:Drug Costs; D005572:Formularies, Hospital as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000458:organization & administration; D010606:Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012846:Singapore; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical / Q000458:organization & administration*
keywords: Decision making; Evidence-based; Formulary; Health technology assessment; Pharmacy and therapeutics committee