www.stepselect.com From pilot to commercial service
In Northern Ireland, integrated medicines management (IMM) has been developed over the last 5 years, and a number of related projects have been carried out. One of the most successful projects, was the application of STEPS (Safe Therapeutic Economic Pharmaceutical Selection) as a tool for the rational and cost-effective selection and procurement of medicines and medical devices in Northern Ireland. Read more
Selection AND procurement in four “STEPS”
A number of medicine selection methods have been used worldwide for formulary purposes. One of the major caveats with these systems however, is the isolated approach of these exercises, more specific the lack of connection to the procurement process. Read more
The process comprises four consecutive STEPS which will be further explained in the sections below:
STEP I: clinical evaluation
STEP II: risk assessment
STEP III: budgetary impact analysis
STEP IV: final procurement selection
Regional system – STEPSelect at present
The initial project was carried out on a pilot basis within one area of Northern Ireland, but has now been adapted to become the overall Regional system. There is a regional steering group, comprising all the key stakeholders that oversee the process for both primary and secondary healthcare sectors. The group also has representation from the pharmaceutical industry in order to facilitate and ensure that the process works smoothly, robustly and transparently from this perspective, as the aim is to ensure that patients have access to the most safe, effective and economic products for their disease state or states. In addition, regional expert groups have been set up for each class that is being considered, and they will remain as permanent standing groups,given the dynamic ever changing nature of this area. Read more
References
Scott M, McElnay J, Janknegt R, Mairs J, Brenninkmeijer, R. Safe Therapeutic Economic Pharmaceutical Selection (STEPSelect): development, introduction and use in Northern Ireland. EJHP Practice • Volume 16 • 2010/3: 81-83.
Scott M, Timoney M, Mairs J, Crealey G, Al Abaddi I, Brenninkmeijer R, Janknegt R, McElnay J.Matrix models and STEPS: concluding remarks. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2007 Oct;8 Suppl 1:S65-7.
Scott M, Timoney M, Mairs J, Crealey G, Al Abaddi I, Brenninkmeijer R, Janknegt R, McElnay J. Safe Therapeutic Economic Pharmaceutical Selection (STEPS): development, introduction and use in Northern Ireland. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2007 Oct;8 Suppl 1:S57-63.
Janknegt R, Scott M, Mairs J, Timoney M, McElnay J, Brenninkmeijer R. System of Objectified Judgement Analysis (SOJA) as a tool in rational and transparent drug-decision making. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2007 Oct;8 Suppl 1:S5-14.
Brenninkmeijer R, Janknegt R. Application of SOJA and InforMatrix in practice: interactive web and workshop tools. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2007 Oct;8 Suppl 1:S49-55.
Schreij G, Janknegt R. InforMatrix nucleoside / nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor ‘backbones’. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2007 Oct;8 Suppl 1:S37-47.
Brenninkmeijer R, Mairs J, Timoney M, Scott M, McElnay J, Janknegt R. InforMatrix as an alternative tool in rational and transparent drug-decision making. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2007 Oct;8 Suppl 1:S31-6.
Janknegt R. Triptans in the treatment of migraine: drug selection by means of the SOJA method. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2007 Oct;8 Suppl 1:S15-30.
Scott M, Janknegt R, Brenninkmeijer R. A prelude to the matrix models supplement. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2007 Oct;8 Suppl 1:S1-4.