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Managed care pharmacists utilize clinical guidelines to assist them in identifying acceptable treatment and management of chronic diseases. For the past several months, an expert panel representing the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) has discussed updated asthma guidelines, which could change future medication management of patients with asthma.To identify new guidelines for asthma control.Taking control of asthma is a foremost objective in managed care, as new guidelines are debated, and asthma disease management programs identify more effective models of asthma disease management. Within an effective asthma disease management program, managed care practitioners, including but not limited to physicians and pharmacists, must have a thorough understanding of the most recent clinical guidelines as well as current knowledge of the current consensus among opinion leaders regarding asthma treatment and management. This ongoing education is critical in order to allow managed care practitioners to perform their role and function within their organizations. With the advent of changing asthma practice guidelines and processes, managed care practitioners need current information to recognize and apply guidelines-based asthma control.Appropriate asthma treatment requires adherence to current management guidelines. Approximately one third of asthmatics will not respond to standard asthma treatment and may even worsen while on therapy. Monitoring, close tracking, and regular evaluation of asthma patients at every health care provider visit is a strategy that can be utilized to generate improved asthma control.

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of our nation's most rapidly growing chronic health conditions. It is estimated that over 16 million individuals are diagnosed with COPD (Friedman & Hilleman, 2001). In addition, another 16 million are misdiagnosed as asthma or not diagnosed at all. COPD is a condition that affects the working-age as well as the elderly. Despite the high mortality rate, COPD is a treatable and modifiable condition. Disease management programs (DMPs) for asthma are a common initiative within many health insurance plans and integrated delivery networks. Similar initiatives are not as common for COPD. This article will highlight the National Jewish Medical and Research Center's COPD DMP interventions and outcomes. Objective To outline interventions and operational strategies critical in developing and operating a sustainable and effective disease management program for COPD. Conclusions Disease Management is an effective model for managing individuals with COPD. Applying a case management model that includes (1) risk-identification and stratification; (2) education and empowerment regarding self-monitoring and management; (3) lifestyle modification; (4) communication and collaboration amongst patients, healthcare providers, and case managers to enhance the treatment plan; (5) providing after-hours support; and (6) monitoring care outcomes is crucial. Applying these interventions in a credible manner will improve the quality of life and quality of care delivered to individuals with mild, moderate, severe, and very severe COPD. Additionally, these interventions can significantly reduce utilization events.