Pharmacy Benefits Management Services

Academic Detailing Service - About Us

The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Pharmacy Benefits Management (PBM) Academic Detailing Service (ADS) is designed to provide a centralized matrix model for developing and supporting core elements of academic detailing (AD) programming.  AD is a scholarly approach to balanced, evidenced-based information that uses direct one-on-one social marketing techniques to provide service-oriented outreach for health care professionals. In March 2015, the Interim Under Secretary for Health issued a memorandum requiring implementation of AD programs throughout the VHA. The purpose of the National ADS is to support the accomplishment of this mandate.

The mission of the ADS is to enhance Veteran outcomes by empowering clinicians and promoting the use of evidence-based treatments using the intervention of Academic Detailing by clinical pharmacy specialists. AD is a service for clinicians, by clinicians, that provides individualized, face-to-face outreach, to encourage evidence-based decision making to improve Veteran health.

The ADS provides support for VHA efforts to reduce variability in the use of evidence-based treatments for mental health conditions and pain management across the VHA in the following core services:

• Provides training for pharmacists new to AD
• Develops clinical dashboards and priority panel reports for key initiatives (e.g. PTSD, OEND) to identify Veterans in greatest need of an intervention
• Develops evidence-based provider and patient education tools
• Provides ongoing training and support for detailers during the twice monthly AD Collaboration Call
• Supports development and implementation of new AD programs
• Maintains a workforce platform to collect data on outreach visits

If you are interested in learning more about implementing an Academic Detailing Program, please see our VA Academic Detailing Implementation Guide For questions/comments, please contact us at AskPBMAcademicDetailing@va.gov

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