UCONN GETS NEW FEDERAL CENTER

The University of Connecticut's (UConn) new federalcenter may help determine which treatment physiciansrecommend and which prescription drugshealth plans cover. The center, to be led by the Schoolof Pharmacy in collaboration with the School ofBusiness and Hartford Hospital, is one of 14Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC) nationwide.

As directed by the Agency for Healthcare Researchand Quality in the US Department of Health andHuman Services, the centers are responsible for conductingcomprehensive, systemic reviews of research on health topicsof crucial importance to the health care system. The centers arealso charged with advising federal and state policy makers, professionalorganizations, and insurance companies on the highestquality, most effective, and most cost-effectivehealth care treatments and delivery options.

The UConn center adds a unique perspective tothe EPC program because of the pharmaceuticalexpertise of its scientific team, said C. MichaelWhite, PharmD, its director and associate professorof pharmacy practice.

"Pharmacists are health care's medicationexperts and, as such, the profession possessesinsights into patient care that often are underrepresentedamong leaders formulating the nation's health care policies," hesaid. "Having pharmacists, physicians, and health care policyexperts all working together will benefit everyone," addedWhite.