Jan E. Berger, MD, MJ—Editor-in-Chief

Questions of cost and value are ones that each stakeholder group in healthcare will have to answer.

Narrowing consumer choice is the big issue for 2015.

One day health plans may cover medical marijuana in states where the drug has been legalized, but there are still barriers to overcome.

There are 10 steps that need to be taken to help payers more adequately address the problem of inappropriate prescribing of pain medications.

There are 10 steps that need to be taken to help payers more adequately address the problem of inappropriate prescribing of pain medications.

It is now time for health plans and employers to create a consumer-focused benefit.

To achieve the triple aim, the healthcare benefit and the pharmacy benefit must evolve.

Physicians should work with retail pharmacies to find cost-effective medication strategies for their patients.

To improve health and healthcare, we must begin to hold pharmacists accountable for quality.

The pharmacist and retail pharmacy will play an expanding role in the triple aim solution of access, quality, and cost.

As we continue to chase the holy grail of medication adherence, we need to be mindful of reality.

More focus needs to be directed to the pharmacy benefit structure and appropriate use of medication in the pediatric population.

Specialty medications continue to proliferate, and their price tags to rise. How can payers and patients pay the bill?

How do we define and measure value in terms of healthcare?

In the spirit of medication therapy management, the efficacy, safety, and necessity of each medication a consumer is on should be assessed during an annual provider visit.

Patients' incomplete understanding of the healthcare information provided to them poses a significant danger and creates a need for payer-provided health literacy education programs.

The conversation between physician and patient when medication is prescribed is important and the incorrect use of medications has health and cost implications.

The potential OTC availability of Lipitor and other prescription drugs raises questions regarding value, safety, appropriateness, and insurance coverage.

A pharmacy benefit that covers both inpatient and outpatient medications would ensure safe, cost-effective care in an integrated, automated way across all healthcare venues.

The large number of medications to treat neurologic conditions that are in the pipeline will require assessment of safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness.

Because pharmacists are experts in the art and science of medication management, they are a tremendous asset to the healthcare team.

I remember meeting with employers 10 years ago and telling them that specialty medications were the oncoming train that they would have to address.

We have the opportunity to take what we learned in the 1980s and 1990s and create models of care that make sense for us all.