Human Resources: URAC is currently putting the industry’s first-ever accreditation to the test

Washington, D.C. April 4, 2007 – URAC is currently putting the industry’s first-ever accreditation measures for pharmacy benefit management to the test in more than ten organizations, and will be discussing aspects of the upcoming accreditation program at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) Annual Meeting & Showcase April 11-14 at the San Diego Convention Center.

John DuMoulin, URAC’s vice president of government relations and product development, will be part of a panel discussion addressing prescription benefit quality initiatives April 13 at 8:30 a.m. The AMCP Annual Meeting & Showcase is the largest assembly of pharmacy and health care professionals dedicated solely to the issues of managed care pharmacy.

URAC, the Washington, D.C.-based independent accreditor of health care management organizations, is creating the program to promote industry best practices, encourage quality improvement, and protect and empower consumers. DuMoulin’s panel appearance comes as URAC’s proposed Pharmacy Benefit Management Accreditation standards are being Beta tested in the largest group URAC has ever fielded for testing new standards.

“There is a great deal of excitement among pharmacy benefit management organizations and purchasers/consultants about the new standards as we move through the Beta testing phase,” said Alan Spielman, URAC’s president and chief executive officer. “This new accreditation program will bring a remarkable opportunity for organizations to demonstrate they meet industry-recognized standards and to attain the URAC quality seal.”
Final standards for the commercially insured market are expected to be approved and issued this summer, but there are early indications that purchasers will expect industry leaders to step up immediately and seek the new accreditation status. Employers are already circulating RFIs for next year that ask prescription benefit management organizations whether they will be seeking URAC PBM accreditation.

"Purchasers are seeking quality,” said Michael Bailey, RPh, a member of URAC’s Pharmacy Benefit Management Standards Committee and director, MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Inc., “and through recent RFIs, they are trying to understand which PBMs have quality initiatives underway.”

“URAC’s multi-stakeholder process for standards development provides an avenue for purchasers, consumers, regulators and the industry to set meaningful standards that will truly demonstrate quality,” DuMoulin said. “This accreditation is greatly anticipated because of the need for all parties to better understand the practices of pharmacy benefit management organizations and to clearly recognize quality.”

To read more about the URAC Pharmacy Benefit Management Accreditation program go to www.urac.org.

About URAC

URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is well-known as a leader in promoting health care quality through its accreditation and certification programs. URAC offers a wide range of quality benchmarking programs and services that keep pace with the rapid changes in the health care system, and provide a symbol of excellence for organizations to validate their commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that all stakeholders are represented in establishing meaningful quality measures for the entire health care industry. For more information, visit www.urac.org

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