Formulary evaluation using a class review approach: experience and results from an academic medical center.

Developing and maintaining a drug formulary is an essential process that allows hospitals to meet mandatory standards, such as those defined by The Joint Commission, while ensuring that drugs are being used in a safe, appropriate, and cost-effective manner. In this article, we describe our strategy for an annual formulary review, the first year's results of its implementation, and its ongoing development at an academic medical center. Our strategy for reviewing the formulary was based on two main components-a scheduled class review (CR) process and a continuous safety-review process.