Pharmacy and Therapeutics

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Pharmacy and Therapeutics is a committee at a hospital or an insurance plan that meets to decide which drugs will appear on that entity's drug formulary. The committee usually consists of both doctors and pharmacists. They must weigh the costs and benefits of each drug and decide which ones provide the most efficacy per dollar. Most generic drugs are available on formularies, except in cases where that class of drugs are no longer considered safe and efficatious. For instance most formularies will not cover barbituates since their therapeutic index is low compared to benzodiazepines. Barbituates have a danger of overdosing that occurs at a smaller milligram range than the benzodiazepines.