TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 31, 2001--Dr. Ronald Salem,
senior general manager of PharMerica, a unit of AmerisourceBergen
(NYSE:ABC), was named chairman of the Florida Agency for Healthcare
Administration's newly formed Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics
Committee. Governor Jeb Bush announced the appointment August 27.
The committee was formed to help rein in the state's escalating
Medicaid patient drug costs. The committee will review and approve or
reject drugs for AHCA's Preferred Drug List. Only drugs on this list
may be easily prescribed for Medicaid patients. Physicians must
receive prior approval from AHCA for drugs not on the list. At
minimum, the committee will meet quarterly to review the therapeutic
benefits of drugs for the Preferred Drug List before approving or
rejecting them.
"It is an honor to be named to this committee. I'm certain we can
provide some solutions that will help curb Florida's runaway drug
expenses without compromising patient outcomes and safety," Salem
said.
The committee consists of 11 members, including five physicians,
five pharmacists, and a university professor. The committee was named
last week and met for the first time Saturday in Orlando. The
committee's members then voted Salem chairman for a term of two years.
He was named to the committee for his clinical and cost containment
experience.
PharMerica, headquartered in Tampa, supplies pharmaceutical
services to nursing homes. As general manager of PharMerica's
Jacksonville pharmacy, Salem oversees day-to-day operations and
delivery of medications and services to residents in more than 25
nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Previously, he was
director of Jacksonville's Neighborhood and Community Programs, a
position he held for two years. Mayor John Delaney appointed him
chairman of Citizens for Better Jacksonville in 2000.
A pharmacist for 23 years, Salem received a doctorate in pharmacy
and a B.S. in pharmacy from the University of Florida in Gainesville.
About PharMerica
PharMerica is a leading provider of institutional pharmacy
services to the elderly, chronically ill and disabled in long-term
care and alternate site settings, including skilled nursing
facilities, assisted living facilities, specialty hospitals and
residential living communities. PharMerica also provides mail order
home delivery pharmacy services to workers' compensation patients and
the catastrophically ill, and electronically adjudicates workers'
compensation prescription claims from pharmacies on behalf of
commercial insurance carriers.
About AmerisourceBergen
AmerisourceBergen is the largest pharmaceutical services company
in the United States dedicated solely to the pharmaceutical supply
chain. It is the leading distributor of pharmaceutical products and
services to the hospital systems/acute care market, alternate care
facilities, and independent community pharmacies. The Company is also
a leader in the institutional pharmacy marketplace. With approximately
$36 billion in annualized operating revenues, AmerisourceBergen is
headquartered in Valley Forge, PA, and employs more than 13,000 people
serving over 25,000 customers.
CONTACT: |
PharMerica |
---|
|
Sonya Trezevant, 800/237-7676, ext. 86682 |
---|
|
---|
|
---|