ASHP Therapeutic Guidelines and Position Statements. The Commission on Therapeutics has responsibility for the development of ASHP Therapeutic Guidelines and ASHP Therapeutic Position Statements. A systematic analysis of the literature is performed, and scientific evidence is evaluated based on predetermined criteria. Recommendations in the document are based on scientific evidence or expert consensus. When expert judgment must be used, the document indicates the scientific reasoning that influenced the decision.
Scientific evidence takes precedence over expert judgment.
Each recommendation is accompanied by projections of the relevant health and cost outcomes that could result. The expert panel and COT review each draft of the guidelines document and provide comments. This proc-ess is repeated until the expert panel and COT are satisfied with the content of the document. ASHP solicits multidisciplinary input on the draft. Reviewers consist of members and selected individuals knowledgeable in the content area, representatives of various ASHP bodies, and other professional organ-izations.