The Pharmacy Liaison Committee (PLC) met on December 2, 2021, and July 14, 2022, to discuss initiatives for the promotion of cost-effective services. DMAS shared with the Committee the pharmacy-related activities the Agency has recently completed and planned. This included information on access to Suboxone film and buprenorphine/naloxone sublingual (SL) tablets at pharmacies, Covid-19 updates, Hepatitis C drug class update, the Cardinal Care program, and pharmacist provider status.

The Drug Utilization Review (DUR) Board met on December 1, 2021, March 10, June 2, and September 8, 2022. At each meeting held, the DUR Board reviewed seven characteristics (overutilization, therapeutic duplication, drug-to-disease interactions, drug-to-drug interactions, appropriate dose and duration) and established criteria for a total of seventeen (17) new drugs and revised and discussed criteria for a number of existing drugs. Additionally, the Board continued to monitor anticipated “pipeline" specialty drugs, antipsychotic medication utilization in Pediatrics, concurrent use of opioids and benzodiazepines, concurrent use of opioids and antipsychotics, antidepressant medications in children, mood stabilizer medications in children, synagis utilization for respiratory syncytial virus, pediatric and adult narcotic utilization, and naloxone utilization.