Pharmacognetics and Health Care Coverage

Hello!  We have an upcoming featuring Dr. Michael Manolakis titled "Should Pharmacognetics Drive Health Plan Coverage Descisions?"  This event is Wednesday, February 6, from 12:30-2 in the Winningham 107.

Dr. Manolakis will describe the evolution of the pharmacy benefit, which is the component of the larger health care benefit that provides coverage for prescription medications, as well as access to certain pharmacies for the provision of these medications.  He will detail how rationing was incorporated into pharmacy benefit management in the early 1990's as payers for health care benefits struggled with increasing costs and escalating pharmacy benefit cost trends.

Questions to consider when attending this lecture include the following:  how should limits (if any) be set for the pharmacy benefit as it applies to specialty medications, which are associated with extremely high per patient costs?  How should coverage decisions be made for these new medications under an assumption that knowledge about how a drug can work in your body be known through pharmacogenomic testing?

This event includes lunch.  Vouchers for free parking will be despensed at the event upon request.  If interested, please RSVP to ethicscenter@uncc.edu by February 3.  Space is limited, and RSVPs are accepted on a first come first serve basis.