ERIC Number: EJ809053
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Aug
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0016-9013
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Medicare Part D and the Nursing Home Setting
Stevenson, David G.; Huskamp, Haiden A.; Newhouse, Joseph P.
Gerontologist, v48 n4 p432-441 Aug 2008
Purpose: The purpose of this article is to explore how the introduction of Medicare Part D is changing the operations of long-term-care pharmacies (LTCPs) and nursing homes, as well as implications of those changes for nursing home residents. Design and Methods: We reviewed existing sources of information and interviewed stakeholders across various perspectives. We conducted 31 semistructured telephone interviews with key stakeholders between November 2006 and January 2007. Results: Part D represents a substantial departure from how prescription drugs were previously financed and administered in nursing homes, and nursing home providers and LTCPs have struggled in adapting to some of these changes. Part D increased the variation around formularies and drug management processes for residents at the facility level, creating additional burden on clinical and pharmacy staff and introducing a tension between facilities' need to dispense medications quickly and assuring of coverage for those drugs. Nursing home and LTCP stakeholders perceive wide variation across Part D plans in their ability to meet the needs of nursing home residents. Implications: Although LTCPs, nursing homes and their clinicians, and Part D plans will gain experience with the benefit in the nursing home setting over time, stakeholders we interviewed identified a range of longer term issues and questions that merit attention as the benefit proceeds.
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
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