WAC 182-50-025   Membership and qualifications of pharmacy and therapeutics committee.  (1) The committee shall consist of no fewer than ten members appointed by the appointing authority.

     (2) The appointing authority has the sole right to appoint committee members and may terminate appointment of any member at any time during the term.

     (3) The appointing authority will make appointments to the committee from a pool of interested applicants. Interested persons will be provided an opportunity to submit applications to the appointing authority.

     (4) Members shall enter into an agreement with the health care authority at the time of their appointment to the committee and shall act in accordance with all of its terms and conditions. Failure to do so may result in termination of the appointment.

     (5) The membership composition at all times shall be consistent with applicable federal requirements under the federal Social Security Act, Title 19 § 1927 and the requirements of the department of social and health services medical assistance administration for its drug utilization review board. Therefore, pharmacists and physicians each shall represent at least thirty-one percent, but no more than fifty-one percent of committee membership respectively.

     (6) Members must be actively practicing in their clinical area of expertise throughout the entire term of their appointments.

     (7) Members must have knowledge and expertise in one or more of the following:

     (a) Clinically appropriate prescribing of covered outpatient drugs;

     (b) Clinically appropriate dispensing and monitoring of covered outpatient drugs;

     (c) Drug use review;

     (d) Medical quality assurance;

     (e) Disease state management; or

     (f) Evidence-based medicine.

     (8) Members of the committee shall not be employed by a pharmaceutical manufacturer, a pharmacy benefits management company, or by any state agency administering state purchased health care programs during their term shall not have been so employed and for eighteen months prior to their appointment.

     (9) A member shall not have a substantial financial conflict of interest including any interest in any pharmaceutical company, including the holding of stock options or the receipt of honoraria or consultant moneys. The appointing authority in its sole discretion may disqualify any potential member if it determines that a substantial conflict of interest exists.

     (10) As part of the application process, prospective committee members shall complete a conflict of interest disclosure form, provided by the appointing authority, and after appointment, annually by July 1st of each year. Members must keep their disclosure statements current and provide updated information whenever circumstances change.

     (11) Committee members must agree to keep all proprietary information confidential.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 41.05.160; 2004 1st sp.s. c 29 § 10. 04-06-021 (Order 03-02), § 182-50-025, filed 2/23/04, effective 3/25/04.]