WVU School of Pharmacy's Rational Drug Therapy Program

The Rational Drug Therapy Program (RDTP), based at the West Virginia University (WVU) School of Pharmacy, is dedicated to safe, rational, cost-effective, and patient outcome oriented drug therapy.  Implemented in 1995, the program provides prior authorization and consultative services for the West Virginia Bureau of Medical Services’ Medicaid pharmaceuticals program and since 2005 to the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA), and West Virginia Children’s Health Insurance Program (WV CHIP) programs.  With support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the West Virginia Department of Health, RDTP launched the Safe and Effective Management of Pain Program (SEMPP). This initiative introduced West Virginia-specific opioid prescribing guidelines that adapt national guidance to the unique needs of the state’s largely rural and underserved population.  SEMPP mandates participation from prescribers managing chronic, high-dose opioid therapy within the West Virginia Medicaid and Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) systems. Pharmacists at RDTP conduct clinical reviews of submitted regimens and provide feedback to ensure patient safety. These reviews have led to over 4,900 targeted interventions, significantly reducing high-risk opioid prescribing. Beyond its opioid-focused work, RDTP supports medication management across a wide spectrum of conditions. It reviews prior authorization requests for West Virginia Medicaid, WV CHIP, and PEIA.  RDTP also offers Drug Utilization Review (DUR) services for the WV Medicaid and WV CHIP populations- further promoting evidence-based prescribing and optimizing fiscal resource use. RDTP has also developed an academic detailing program for statewide clinician education. In 2020, the program launched an academic detailing initiative that has since delivered over 1,800 clinician education sessions. These brief, personalized encounters help clinicians implement best practices in pain management, behavioral health, and substance use disorder care. To ensure accessibility, RDTP deployed academic detailers throughout the state, offering both virtual and in-person sessions.