US managed care Rxs "rose 43% in 1988-98"

The number of prescriptions received per year by the average UScommercial health maintenance organization member rose 43% during 1988-98, says Managed Care Trends 2000, a new report in the Aventis Pharmaceuticals Managed Care Digest Series. This was due not only to new drugs but also to new uses of existing drugs and more stress on patient education, it says. The study also notes that the number of preferred provider organizations which include a managed pharmacy program rose from 37% in 1990 to 80% in 1998.