Drug-usage evaluation by disease state: developing protocols.

The Joint Commission definition of drug-usage evaluation (DUE) also applies to DUE by disease state. The criteria for disease process selection, key processes being evaluated, methods to develop initial DUE protocols, and DUE validation and approval processes are reviewed. The treatment of community-acquired pneumonia is a disease state DUE performed at Saint Joseph Health Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The preliminary protocol was developed by a collaborative network of clinical pharmacists in the metropolitan area. Outcome measures were included in the evaluation. The results were used as baseline data in the development of a pneumonia clinical pathway.