Drug Information Response Center
The Drug Information Response Center (DIRC) at the University at Buffalo (UB) School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SPPS) provides drug information services to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Medicaid Program.
The goal of the DIRC is to provide timely, evidence-based drug information to the NYSDOH Medicaid program by serving as a resource for the NYS Drug Utilization Review (DUR) Board and the Medicaid Prescriber Education Program (MPEP).
The DIRC is staffed by clinical pharmacists at UB SPPS with post-graduate training and extensive experience in drug information. DIRC services include the following:
- Reviews of current evidence, including literature and guidelines
- Drug utilization reviews, including detailed analyses of both pharmacy and medical utilization
- Recommendations for formulary management
- Development of educational materials and other programmatic support for MPEP
- Information needs for the Medicaid call center
- Materials in support of policy development and updates
- Additional services as needed