DOD and VA Pharmacy: Progress and Remaining Challenges in Jointly Buying and Mailing Out Drugs
Abstract
In fiscal year 2000, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) together spent about $3.2 billion on prescription drugs for beneficiaries. Reflecting national trends, VA and DOD drug expenditures have risen significantly, consuming an increasing percentage of their health care budgets. Newly legislated initiatives are projected to further boost DODs annual drug costs by $800 million in fiscal year 2002. To help control these expenditures, VA and DOD have separately and, more recently, jointly contracted for pharmaceuticals to obtain large discounts from drug manufacturers.1 Considerable leverage can be exerted when the departments commit to buy increased volumes of a particular drug when there are generic drugs or brand name drugs2 that are interchangeable in efficacy, safety, and outcomes. The departments ability to commit to jointly buy more of a particular drug depends largely on their ability to influence provider prescribing practices through the use of formularies.3
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 25, 2001
- Accession Number
- AD1166924
Entities
People
- Allan Richardson
- Carolyn Kirby
- Dan Brier
- Karen Sloan
- Richard Wade
- Stephen P. Backhus
- William Lew
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office