Comparative Effectiveness, 2010

Highmark, Inc.

March 2010

Highmark, Inc. will provide information on insulin analogues to its Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee as a result of participating in an AHRQ Insulin Analogues Web conference in February 2009. The Web conference was offered as part of AHRQ's Comparative Effectiveness Knowledge Transfer Project for Pharmacists.

Highmark was one of 171 participants in the Insulin Analogue Web conference, which was targeted to pharmacists and pharmacy decisionmakers who make treatment and formulary decisions for patients with type 2 diabetes. The Web conference provided high-quality research to participating pharmacists and pharmacy decisionmakers to support informed health care decisions. Pharmacy participants in the Web conference were eligible to receive continuing pharmacy education credit.

A clinical pharmacist and a member of the clinical team supporting the P&T Committee at Highmark participated in the Web conference, noting that it "validated our knowledge of insulin analogues that we found through our literature reviews."

Information received during the educational Web conference, as well as other resources from AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program, was shared with Highmark's pharmacy staff. Plans are also under way to share this information with Highmark's P&T Committee.

The Web conference provided participants with an overview of AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program and highlights of a research review, titled Comparative Effectiveness, Safety, and Indications of Insulin Analogues in Premixed Formulations for Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, including information on applying the report in the pharmacy setting. The event provided scientific evidence evaluating the safety and effectiveness of newer therapies, including the insulin analogues relative to conventional insulin and non-insulin antidiabetic therapies in achieving glycemic control.

Highmark, Inc., an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, serves approximately 3.6 million members in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, of which 2.5 million also have pharmacy benefits.

For an archived copy of the Insulin Analogue Web conference, go to: http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/components/webinar/04242009/files/lobby.html.

Knowledge Transfer Case Study Identifier: KT-COE-35
AHRQ Product: Effective Health Care Program/KT Project for Pharmacists
Topic(s): Pharmaceuticals, Chronic Disease Management, Diabetes
Scope: Pennsylvania, West Virginia

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