Revamping P & T Committee structure and process: Use of a physician-drivenapproach

To better meet the needs and best practices of New Jersey physicians, Horiz on Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey engaged private practice physicians from their own health plan to develop a formulary. The resultant formulary is administered by their PBM, which also developed and continues to manage a national formulary that is used by plan members who have a traditional t wo-tier pharmacy benefit. Among the issues discussed in this interview are the rationale for this initially all physician-driven P & T Committee, chal lenges faced during and following formulary development, criteria used in t heir formulary decisionmaking process, subcommittee types and responsibilit ies, formulary management strategies, first-year P & T Committee accomplish ments, and agenda items for the remainder of 1999.