The Rational Drug Therapy Program (RDTP) is dedicated to safe, rational, cost effective, drug therapy that is focused on patient outcomes. We are part of West Virginia University School of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmaceutical Systems and Policy and supported through various contracts with our listed partners. Implemented in 1995, the program provides prior authorization and consultative services to the West Virginia Medicaid Program, the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
As part of the prior authorization service, this program reviews not only the medications listed on the WV Medicaid and PEIA preferred drug list but also performs clinical prior authorization reviews for certain classes of drugs including home health products and injectable medications. The program also performs the duties of the Pharmacy Provider Help Desk for West Virginia Medicare and Gainwell Technologies, serving as the technical call center for pharmacy providers to help with problems encountered during the electronic claim processing of the WV Medicaid program.
In more recent years, grant funding has allowed us to expand our clinical services to include a prior authorization-based opioid stewardship program for Medicaid and PEIA members, and a statewide clinical education program to improve outcomes for patients with ADHD. Our most recent efforts have also spanned into topics such as stigma and substance use disorder, screening for substance use disorder, and more.
RDTP’s latest project includes a clinical pharmacist-staffed guideline information line for clinician support in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of ADHD by providing clinical resources from the West Virginia ACC Guidelines which were developed by a panel of West Virginia experts. This program is funded to support pediatric mental healthcare access, and future similar initiatives are likely to follow.
Our team consists of
RDTP has coordinated efforts with several organizations including:
In 2014, West Virginia had the highest drug overdose death rate in the nation of 35 per 100,000 people. As a result of overdose deaths correlated with prescription opioids, a diverse expert panel of West Virginia professionals was formed. The panels intention was to create guidelines for the management of pain for both safety and efficacy. The panel’s finished product, The Safe and Effective Management of Pain (SEMP) Guidelines, were developed to build upon the CDC Chronic Pain Opioid Guidelines of 2016.
The expert panel developed safe and effective clinical treatment algorithms for the three main classifications of pain (nociceptive, neuropathic and mixed) based on best practices, clinical experience, and evidence-based literature. Various examples of strategies to improve opioid prescribing and monitoring are also included.
Treatment of ADHD can be complex and multifaced, requiring a clinical team that provides comprehensive care for patients and their families across the lifespan. The WVACC guidelines aid clinicians in assessing, evaluating, and treating patients initially presenting with symptoms of ADHD and with their ongoing care. Resources available include:
Academic detailing serves as a “digest” for the ever-growing amount of clinical data. Our clinical pharmacists
disseminate evidenced-based information relating to current prescribing trends.
Our current focus is on ADHD and newly-developed state guidelines as a result of stimulant prescribing trends. The education program has expanded into other subjects including opioid use disorder and the stigma associated with substance use disorder.
We provide various educational opportunities for clinicians via grant funding such as:
For providers who have questions about our West Virginia ACC Guidelines, our information line is staffed by one of our clinical pharmacists Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm. Our mission is to:
