Jonathan Watanabe Appointed to Task Force of the California Benefit Review Program
Jonathan Watanabe, associate dean of pharmacy assessment and quality and professor of clinical pharmacy at the UC Irvine School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, has been appointed to the Task Force of the California Health Benefits Review Program.
Watanabe, along with 15 faculty across the University of California system, was selected for this committee to provide analyses of proposed California health insurance legislation.
Established in 2002 under the Legislative Statute, the California Health Benefits Review Program responds to requests from the state legislature to provide independent analysis of the medical, financial, and public health impacts of proposed health insurance benefit mandates and repeals. A strict conflict of interest policy ensures that the analyses are undertaken without financial or other interests that could bias the results.
“This is a great honor,” says Watanabe. “The UC Faculty represented on the Task Force of the California Health Benefits Review Program are some of the leading policy experts and medical researchers in the nation.”
Watanabe is a pharmacist, health economist, and outcomes researcher. He currently serves as a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation. Additionally, he serves on the journal editorial board for The Senior Care Pharmacist and is a Board-Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (BCGP).
“Dr. Watanabe will be a great asset to this committee,” says Jan Hirsch, Founding Dean of the UCI School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences. “Jonathan is a renowned expert in health policy and real-world evidence related to safe and effective medication utilization. He is often called upon as an expert to weigh the impact of policy measures that influence treatment and health outcomes.”
Watanabe has contributed to three NASEM consensus studies, provided briefings to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, United States Senate Finance, Appropriations, House Ways and Means, Senate HELP, House Energy and Commerce Committee, and briefings to the United States House of Representatives Appropriations Committee Staff on the implications of discarded medications and steps to take to reduce wasted medications.
“I look forward to serving,” says Watanabe. “The State of California historically leads the way for policies that have improved access, equity, and quality of health care. This role will allow me to help ensure that we maintain the upward trajectory of patient-centered care in California.”