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No funding was required for this project. SCH58261 purchase The authors are or have been members of the Format Executive Committee.Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neuroinflammatory disorder with significant health care burden. However, little is known about health care expenditures since the introduction of oral agents for MS after 2010. Objective To analyze health care expenditures in individuals with MS using Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data from 2010-2015. Methods This retrospective cross-sectional study included adults (≥ 18 years) with MS (Clinical Classification Code 080) and those without MS based on the 2010-2015 full year consolidated MEPS Household Component and Medical Provider Component data files. Descriptive weighted analyses were performed to compare health care expenditures between individuals with MS and without MS. The 2-part model involving probit and generalized linear models was used to estimate the marginal increase in total health care expenditures for MS patients. Results There were 0.61 million patients (95% CI = 0.50-0.72) diagnosed with MS annually, accounting for a prevalence of 0.2lose. Part of the study findings was presented at the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) 2019 National Conference; May 18-22, 2019; New Orleans, LA.No outside funding supported this commentary. The authors have nothing to disclose.Background Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been linked to worsening glycemic control in patients with diabetes due to insulin resistance. Studies have shown that treating HCV improves glycemic control in this patient population. Most studies assess glycemic control until the patient’s sustained viral response at 12 weeks (SVR12). Objectives To (a) assess the sustainability of glycemic control after the SVR12 date and (b) determine the change in diabetic medication use over time. Methods This was a retrospective chart review of patients treated at an academic medical center’s hepatology clinic from 2014 through 2017. Patients were eligible for review if they were treated for hepatitis C and had type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) or pre-DM, defined by a hemoglobin A1c (A1c) > 5.7%, at baseline. Data were collected from the EPIC database available to Temple University Hospital. Results were analyzed using a linear mixed model and descriptive statistics. Results Of the 1,073 patients screened, 310 met thnding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The authors report no conflicts of interest.No funding was received for the writing of this commentary. Stull is employed by Employers Health, which is an employer-founded and employer-led group-purchasing organization with a focus on managing contracts for self-funded plan sponsors with PBMs. It also hosts educational conferences and events for which it receives sponsorships from a variety of health benefit suppliers, including pharmaceutical manufacturers, insurance carriers, PBMs and others. Gupton has nothing to disclose.Objective To propose a set of guidelines for use by health care organizations in the United States that seek useful, comparative clinical information and economic analysis on pharmaceutical products to make sound drug purchasing decisions. Practice innovation Based on a therapy intervention approach, the guidelines provide a structured framework to help managed care purchasers become more consistent in how they evaluate drug products for inclusion in the formulary. The guidelines factor in the need to examine the impact of new drug products on overall costs within the entire health system. Practice setting Intended for use by managed care organizations in the U.S. that purchase prescription drugs. Intervention Not applicable. Main outcome measure Not applicable. Results The guidelines provide MCOs with a new systematic approach for identifying the overall cost and clinical outcomes impact of drug therapies. The guidelines are designed to take into account the characteristics of the patient population being treated and the fact that patients generally are redistributed among different treatment categories once a new drug product is introduced, thus offering MCOs an analysis model that extends beyond the traditional partial cost-outcomes approach. Emphasis is placed on looking at the cost-outomes impact of a new drug or therapy within a systems or disease area framework in which the redistribution of patients between therapy options is explicitly modelled. The guidelines specify that the following information elements be used in pharmacoeonomic analysis product description, place in therapy, comparator products, therapy intervention framework, supporting clinical data, supporting pharmacoeconomic data, system impact assessments-costs-outcomes, overall assessment, and bibliography and supporting materials.Background The North Carolina Cancer Hospital at the University of North Carolina Medical Center serves patients with a variety of malignant conditions and discharges more than 130 patients each month. Processes to improve transitions of care prompted implementation of a first-cycle, pharmacist-led chemotherapy consultation service on the inpatient oncology units. This process provides education to improve patient engagement and activation. High patient activation has been associated with better patient outcomes; poor patient activation has been associated with increased health care costs. Objective To determine the effect of pharmacist-led comprehensive chemotherapy consultation services on adherence to outpatient follow-up appointments within 30 days of discharge. Methods This was a single-center, retrospective chart review. This study consisted of 2 groups adult patients who received comprehensive consultation services between April 2017 and September 2017 and a 21 historical group of adult control patienttional Sciences at the National Institutes of Health. Auten reports fees from PTCE and ASHP/ACCP, unrelated to this study. Clark reports consulting fees from Ellion Benson Research, unrelated to this study. The other authors do not have any conflicts of interest to report. This study was presented as a trainee poster on April 5, 2019, at the HOPA Ahead 15th Annual Conference in Fort Worth, TX.