Certain practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have helped jack up drug prices to the point where many people can no longer afford their medications. For example, PBMs charge health plans considerably more for a drug than they pay pharmacies for the same medication. This “ingredient spread,” which generates much of the PBMs’ profits, results in health plans placing drugs into a higher-price tier. As a result, members’ copayments go up. Sometimes they’re higher than the cash prices for
Read More
Does Amazon Have What It Takes to Transform the Pharma Industry?
InteliSys Health’s Tom Borzilleri explains what Amazon could bring to the pharmaceutical space and what the move could mean for brick-and-mortar competitors.From basics like toilet paper to luxuries such as flatscreen TVs, Amazon can deliver just about anything to a doorstep these days—so, what about prescription drugs? That’s the question the company seems to be currently asking itself and is expected to announce its answer soon. The e-commerce giant has been quietly making moves into Pharma
Read More
