The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) advocates for pharmacists' direct involvement in the development, evaluation, and implementation of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines that focus on an interdisciplinary team approach to patient care.
Evidence-based practice guidelines help providers deliver scientifically supported clinical services to patients by utilizing the most current and relevant data to guide policy and practice decisions. Evidence-based support for treatment strategies is essential to ensure that treatment services are safe and effective.1 Consensus and practice guidelines provide the scientific evidence that healthcare professionals use to provide recommendations that optimize clinical decision-making in patient care.
Pharmacists are well-qualified to participate in the development and evaluation of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines due to their extensive knowledge of pharmacotherapy and training in critically evaluating scientific literature. Additionally, pharmacists serve as key contributors to ensuring the implementation and promoting the dissemination of clinical practice guidelines. For managed care pharmacists, evidence-based guidelines help make informed policy- and patient care-related decisions associated with medication therapies, formulary management, and strategies for delivering quality care. This balances the safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness for patient-centric decision-making. AMCP’s endorsement of these guidelines and direct pharmacist involvement displays its commitment to providing consistent, efficient, and equitable patient care.
As noted in an American College of Clinical Pharmacy White Paper published in 2022, pharmacists are already included on the panel for major clinical practice guidelines, such as the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes and those issued by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and the Infectious Diseases Society of America; however, pharmacist involvement is lacking in other major national and international guidelines involving pharmacotherapy.2 The inclusion of pharmacists continues to increase, but there remains room for improvement.
Managed care pharmacists can significantly improve adherence to clinical practice guidelines through formulary and benefit design, drug utilization review, quality measurement, clinical programs, and patient and provider education. For example, pharmacist-led interventions through health plan initiatives have led to significantly improved adherence to ADA Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes recommendations.3
This information highlights the need for implementing evidence-based clinical guidelines, their value in improving clinical outcomes for patients, and the need to include pharmacists in the development and application of evidence-based clinical guidelines. These efforts enhance adherence, patient care, and clinical outcomes, leading to optimized care.
AMCP offers a wide variety of educational opportunities, from events and webinars to online training.
