PHARMACY MANAGEMENT COMPANY-NEGOTIATED CONTRACT FOR DRUG INFORMATION-SERVICES

University-based drug information services provided on a contractual b asis to the pharmacies of a pharmacy management company are described. Allied Pharmacy Management, Inc. (APM), the manager of 34 institution al pharmacies, 3 community pharmacies, and 6 long-term care and infusi on therapy pharmacies, determined a need to contract for the services of a drug information center. Centers meeting basic criteria were invi ted to submit proposals. After careful research and negotiations, APM chose the University of Tennessee Drug Information Center for a one-ye ar contract beginning in November 1992. Services provided under the co ntract include drug information consultations, formulary drug class re views, new drug monographs, drug-use evaluation (DUE) criteria, litera ture reviews, and newsletters. Seven months after the contract went in to effect, APM-affiliated pharmacy directors stated that they were eit her satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of the answers to dru g information requests, the newsletters, and the drug monographs and a greed overwhelmingly that the contract should be renewed. The contract has been renewed for second and third years. During the first year, t he drug information center answered 155 questions and took 121 hours t o do so. In the second year there were 244 questions, requiring 161 ho urs. In year 1 there were 21 formulary class reviews, 6 newsletters, 5 new drug monographs, and 1 set of DUE criteria. There have been 20-25 literature searches during each contract year. The drug information s ervices provided by a university-based drug information center under c ontract with a pharmacy management company satisfied the directors of the affiliated pharmacies.