Build a drug monograph that presents efficacy, safety and cost evidence in a consistent format.
Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Management
Formulary Management and Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee Practice
Prepare pharmacy and clinical leaders to run a formulary system and Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee that evaluates medicines rigorously and keeps decisions consistent after they are made.
🗓️Duration5 training days
📚Content4 modules · 8 sessions
🎓On completionAccredited attendance certificate
About the programme
Course Overview
A formulary is only as good as the process that keeps it current: new medicines reviewed on evidence rather than promotion, committee decisions applied consistently at the bedside, and older entries reassessed as better options appear. This course works through that process from both sides of the table. Participants build a drug monograph and therapeutic class review to the standard a Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee expects, and evaluate comparative effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness evidence for a formulary addition. The programme covers committee governance: meeting structure, voting procedures, conflict of interest disclosure and how non-formulary requests are assessed without undermining the formulary's authority. Later sessions turn to what happens after a decision is made, including therapeutic interchange policies, generic substitution rules and the drug utilisation review data that shows whether a formulary decision is achieving its clinical and financial intent. Participants finish able to run or contribute to a formulary system that clinicians trust and finance teams can rely on.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Conduct a therapeutic class review that compares available agents on clinically relevant criteria.
Run a Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee meeting following defined governance and voting procedures.
Manage conflict of interest disclosure so committee recommendations remain credible to clinicians.
Assess non-formulary requests against defined clinical and cost-effectiveness criteria.
Design a therapeutic interchange and generic substitution policy that protects patient safety.
Monitor formulary decisions through drug utilisation review data and adjust policy accordingly.
Who Should Attend
Clinical pharmacists preparing drug monographs and therapeutic class reviews.
Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee members and chairs responsible for formulary decisions.
Hospital and health system pharmacy directors overseeing formulary governance.
Medical staff serving on formulary or drug evaluation committees.
Pharmacy benefit and payer staff managing formulary and non-formulary request processes.
Quality and utilisation management staff monitoring formulary performance after decisions.
Course Modules
Select any module to see its sessions and points.
01Formulary System Foundations
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Purpose and Structure of a Formulary System
- Explain how a formulary system balances clinical choice, safety and cost across an organisation.
- Distinguish an open, closed and tiered formulary structure and their effects on prescribing.
- Map the roles of pharmacy, medical staff and finance in maintaining a formulary system.
- Review how formulary status affects prescribing, dispensing and reimbursement decisions.
Session 2Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee Roles and Governance
- Define the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee's authority, scope and reporting lines.
- Assign committee roles, including chair, clinical reviewers and administrative support.
- Set a committee charter that specifies meeting frequency, quorum and decision authority.
- Align committee governance with accreditation and regulatory expectations for medicines management.
02Evaluating Medicines for the Formulary
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Drug Monograph Development and Therapeutic Class Review
- Draft a drug monograph covering indication, efficacy, safety and place in therapy.
- Conduct a therapeutic class review that compares agents on effectiveness and adverse effect profile.
- Summarise pivotal trial evidence in a format the committee can evaluate quickly.
- Identify gaps in the evidence base that the committee should weigh before a decision.
Session 2Comparative Evidence and Cost-Effectiveness Evaluation
- Apply cost-effectiveness analysis to compare a candidate medicine against current formulary options.
- Model the budget impact of adding, restricting or removing a medicine from the formulary.
- Weigh real-world safety data alongside pivotal trial results in a formulary recommendation.
- Present a balanced recommendation that reflects both clinical and financial considerations.
03Formulary Decision-Making and Committee Practice
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Committee Meeting Process and Voting Procedures
- Structure a committee agenda that gives adequate time to each medicine under review.
- Apply a defined voting procedure that produces a documented, defensible formulary decision.
- Record meeting minutes and decision rationale in a form that supports later audit.
- Manage disagreement among committee members without stalling a formulary decision.
Session 2Managing Conflicts of Interest and Non-Formulary Requests
- Apply a conflict of interest disclosure process before committee members vote on a medicine.
- Recuse a committee member appropriately when a material conflict of interest is identified.
- Assess a non-formulary request against clinical justification and available alternatives.
- Communicate a non-formulary decision to the requesting clinician with clear reasoning.
04Implementing and Monitoring Formulary Decisions
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Therapeutic Interchange and Generic Substitution Policy
- Design a therapeutic interchange policy that specifies which substitutions pharmacists may make.
- Set generic substitution rules consistent with regulatory and safety requirements.
- Communicate interchange and substitution policies to prescribers and nursing staff.
- Address exceptions where a patient's clinical situation rules out a standard interchange.
Session 2Drug Utilisation Review and Formulary Performance Monitoring
- Design a drug utilisation review that tracks prescribing patterns against formulary intent.
- Identify inappropriate or off-label use patterns through utilisation review data.
- Report formulary performance metrics back to the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee.
- Recommend formulary revisions based on utilisation, outcome and cost data collected over time.
What the participant receives
4 course modules
A structured syllabus
8 training sessions
across 5 days
32 detailed points
Applied, detailed content
Accredited attendance certificate
On completing the programme
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