Attention on PBMs with minimal risk of policy change may represent the best of both worlds for pharma, which benefits from another part of the industry taking the heat on drug prices but could stand to lose out financially depending on the PBM reform approaches taken.

Private sector efforts to lower cost sharing for insulin continue but patient advocates and lawmakers still believe legislation is needed to tackle the issue in a comprehensive way.

According to a report commissioned by PhRMA, the three largest pharmacy benefit managers continue to exclude more drugs from standard formularies, including those with expedited FDA approval. 

Federal Trade Commission’s ‘pro-competitive’ perspective could support conclusion that pharmacy benefit managers serve useful role in lowering drug costs, health policy expert suggests. FTC will get an earful about PBM practices, but ‘those complaints could be an indication that competition is working.’