CMS, which has lead the way in promoting transparency in health care is apparently allowing a group that CHARGES organizations to belong to a so-called quality alliance and itself is closed mouthed about it’s quality standards to set policy about pharmacy quality. The group is called the Pharmacy Quality Alliance.
Founding members of this new organization are the AHIP, American Pharmacists Association, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, and the NationalCommunity Pharmacists Association. The goal of the PQA is to “agree on a strategy for measuring and reporting data that will help consumers make informed choices and appropriate healthcare decisions.” Membership is open to all stakeholders but on a fee basis only.
Initially the PQA has formed two work-groups:
Quality Metrics Work Group which is responsible for identifying the areas of measurement development and work with organizations who have demonstrated expertise in the design and specifications of performance measures. They will initially focus on seven disease-specific metrics: diabetes, hyperlipidemia, asthma, mental health, hypertension, heart failure.
Initiatlly their work centers on “generic efficiency”/formulary management whatever this means…What is generic efficiency? How does it differ from effectivness or just plan therapeutic benefit. And why would CMS even agree to such a group independent of total health benefit or such a group independent of other sorts of health care providers?
“Reporting Work Group which will recommend principles and methods for reporting meaningful information to consumers, pharmacists, health insurance plans, pruchasers and other interested stakeholders. …”
This is stupid and silly…as if these groups don’t have their own methods or sources of data…Why is CMS doing this?
Apparently patient groups have been cut out of the processes of the PQA…There is little patient / consumer organization representation on the Steering Committee Level and on PQA workgroups / Their is no transparency and unclear how decisions are made even though patient groups are paying members…The PQA is working on a very aggressive timeline with a goal to have its work product (metrics) completed by November.
One of the goals of the “Quality Metrics” work group is cost containment and the establishment of tighter formulary standards using evidence based medcine. One of the cochairs of the work group is John Coster who worked with Senator David Pryor in 1990 to create the Medicaid rebate program complete with restrictive formularies, prior authorization and clinical holds all of which had nothing to do with quality of care….
No transparency, reliance on EBM, cost containment….a focus on drug spending independent of quality of care and total cost….what is going on here?
