Formulary policies are developed for the dual purposes of promoting rational prescribing and controlling costs. Both of these activities contribute to the overall quality of patient care - the first by ensuring that treatment is safe, effective and convenient, and the second by making the best use of resources. Models for the implementation of formulary policies were presented by Christine Clark and Laurence Goldberg at the European Symposium on Pharmacoeconomics [Gent, Belgium; May 1994].