US FDA Modernization Act, section 114: uses, opportunities and implications for comparative effectiveness research.

Background: Section 114 of the 1997 US FDA Modernization Act (FDAMA) is an important vehicle for pharmaceutical companies to promote the economic value of their drugs to formulary decision makers, but little is known about how the Section has been interpreted and used.

Methods: We conducted a web-based survey of a convenience sample of 35 outcomes directors of major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. We asked them about their interpretation of, and experiences with, Section 114, as well as their views regarding the FDA's role in the matter, and whether the advent of comparative effectiveness research (CER) will affect the use of Section 114 promotions.

Use of atypical antipsychotic drugs for schizophrenia in Maine Medicaid following a policy change.

More than one-third of Medicaid programs and Medicare Part D plans use prior authorization (PA) policies to control the use of atypical antipsychotics (AAs). We used Medicaid and Medicare claims data to investigate how Maine's PA policy affected AA use, treatment discontinuities, and spending among schizophrenia patients initiating AA therapy. Patients initiating AAs during Maine's policy experienced a 29 percent greater risk of treatment discontinuity than patients initiating AAs before the policy took effect; no change occurred in a comparison state.

Physician perceptions of the use of medications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent mental health condition, occurring in 3% to 5% of school-aged children. Although stimulant medications are a recommended treatment for this disorder, physicians. views of these medications have not been systematically evaluated.