PBMs Try to Stem Stockpiling of Trump-Touted Malaria Drugs
With the death toll from COVID-19 now surpassing 14,000 in the U.S., President Donald Trump and some of his advisers have repeatedly touted the promise of certain anti-malarial drugs to combat the disease caused by ...
Extensive Savings Remain Elusive 10 Years Into Biosimilar Era With Chart: Increased Biosimilar Use Could Offer Significant Savings for Employers
Biosimilar medications can offer meaningful cost savings for payers, but market and regulatory barriers are still preventing them from realizing their full economic potential, according to a March 31 Johns Hopkins U...
Express Scripts’ Value-Based Programs Save Plans $4.3B
Express Scripts said it saved enrolled plans some $4.3 billion in 2019 through its SafeGuardRx programs, which combine multiple cost- containment strategies such as value- based contracting and payments from financi...
As World Awaits Results From Remdesivir Trials, Pricing Questions Loom
Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are far from the only drugs being tested for their potential to treat COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that has ballooned into a pandemic.
Another potential...
News Briefs
✦ A case before the U.S. Supreme Court, which will determine how far states can go in regulating PBMs, will be delayed due to the COVID-19 crisis. Oral arguments in Rutledge v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Assoc...
Coronavirus Could Change How Consumers Fill Prescriptions
The COVID-19 pandemic, which has quickly changed many aspects of everyday life around the globe, could also spark changes in American consumers’ behavior that provide long-term savings for payers and PBMs, experts...
Insurers Enact Policies to Ease Access to Prescription Drugs
According to a list compiled by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), payers have made a variety of changes to their prescription drug benefits as part of their response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
✦ Payers ...
Even Amid Crisis, Congress Could Take Up Part D Reform
With the federal government consumed by responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, the possibility of Congress passing drug-pricing legislation — once a top priority for the Trump administration — might seem dim. But ...
For Bipolar Disorder, Plans Prefer Generics Over Vraylar
A recently approved brand drug for bipolar disorder will have little impact on how health plans cover these medications, experts say. Health plans will continue to encourage the use of less expensive generic bipolar...
Pharma Companies Race to Tackle COVID-19
Since the novel coronavirus started to spread globally, a mix of legacy pharmaceutical companies and small startups have been scrambling to develop a treatment or vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the viru...