Francis S. Soistman Jr.
PER
Francis S. Soistman Jr. Soistman
Francis S. Soistman Jr., executive vice president of Coventry Health Care, said when asked about the forms on his company's Web site said that  at the top of each form is a logo that says, ''AdvantraRx: Medicare prescription drug plans made easy.'' After checking with Coventry pharmacists, Mr. Soistman said the forms were justified. He said the forms serve as a checklist of the necessary information needed for their review. Mr. Soistman said prior authorization limits the use of drugs with a potential for abuse like OxyContin and drugs with safety problems like Accutane, an acne treatment that can cause birth defects. In addition, he said, prior authorization is a way to prevent the overuse of high-cost medications and to ensure that they are equally effective, less expensive agents are used first. At the top of each form is a logo that says, "AdvantraRx: Medicare prescription drug plans made easy." After checking with Coventry pharmacists, Francis S. Soistman Jr., executive vice president of Coventry Health Care, said the forms were justified because each drug requiring prior authorization has unique clinical criteria that must be met. The forms serve as a checklist of necessary information needed for their review. More generally, Mr. Soistman said, prior authorization limits the use of drugs with a potential for abuse like OxyContin and drugs with safety problems like Accutane, an acne treatment that can cause birth defects.