"Medication utilization...the great multiplier!".

“Medication Utilization”, or alternatively “Drug Utilization” is a term that is widely used in health care. While cost concerns for medications are usually the central focus, utilization should be equally targeted. The problem is that prescription medications are usually warranted and the tools for managing utilization are frequently ineffective in the long-term and is not always substantiated by rigorous research. Utilization accounts for an additional prescription to a patient’s regimen. The problem is magnified further when the cost of medications equals or exceeds acute care charges as with Specialty Medications, i.e., medications usually injectables self or physician/nurse administered, require special handling, have high cost per dose, and may require special approvals prior to dispensing. These medications are still too costly for patients and require insurers to charge premiums that increase the costs of health care, even with 50% cost discounts. Thus, if utilization multiplies cost, what are we to do?