State Seeking Pediatrician to Serve on Minnesota Health Care Programs Drug Formulary Committee

December 19, 2024

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is seeking applications from licensed pediatricians to serve on the Minnesota Health Care Programs Drug Formulary Committee (DFC).  

Interested pediatricians should provide contact information to Dave Hoang, Pharm.D., the DHS clinical pharmacist and DFC ex officio. Background information about the DFC or Pharmacy Department activities may be obtained by contacting Hoang or by applying for an Open Appointment through the Secretary of State’s Office no later than January 2, 2025. 

The DFC functions as a Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee (P&T) for Minnesota Health Care Programs, advising the Department on drug coverage and utilization management policy. 

The primary statutory responsibility of the DFC is to advise the department on drugs to be placed under prior authorization. However, the DFC is involved with many other P&T related considerations. Meeting discussions include topics such as drug classes included in the preferred drug list (PDL) and specialty drug list, coverage of new drugs, prior authorization criteria, generic substitution, and coverage of over the counter (OTC) products.  

The committee is supported by a DHS staff pharmacist who facilitates the meeting and acts as the meeting secretary. There is a $100 stipend and mileage reimbursement for each meeting’s attendance. The requested commitment is three years. 

The applicant should have a basic knowledge of formulary management and be up-to-date on clinical literature. DFC meetings are public and are held at least four times per year in St. Paul and virtually. DFC public meetings are typically held on the third Wednesday of the month during the hours of 9 am to 1:30 pm. All current DFC members participate virtually.