When it comes to hospitals deciding which medications to purchase, as well as determining which ones remain on the formularies, and which have the most value, the method is largely static and antiquated, having changed very little since the 1980s. Generally speaking, Pharmacy and Therapeutics committees, consisting of internal hospital leadership, vote to collectively decide which medications should be added or removed.
The problem with this method is that the decisions are largely subjective – influenced by anecdotal evidence about which drugs are most effective, which ones patients “prefer,” group consensus, relationships with sales reps, brand loyalty, and other unscientific factors.