Pharmacists Play Key Role in Addressing Health Inequities, Execs Say at Conference

PBMs and health plans are increasingly relying on pharmacists to manage their members’ medication costs and improve adherence, particularly among marginalized groups who have often been overlooked, according to speakers at the third annual Pharmacoequity Conference, held May 3 at the University of Pittsburgh. The panelists also said pharmacists adopting a so-called “cost-plus” model can help bring more transparency to drug pricing, make medications more affordable, and help people become healthier and save payers money.

The term “pharmacoequity” was popularized in 2021 by Utibe Essien, M.D., an internal medicine physician and former professor at the University of Pittsburgh who is now at the University of California, Los Angeles. Essien has defined pharmacoequity as “equity in access to pharmacotherapies or ensuring that all patients, regardless of race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or availability of resources, have access to the highest quality of pharmacotherapy required to manage their health conditions.”

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Tim Casey

Tim Casey

Tim has been a reporter and editor for newspapers, websites and magazines for more than 20 years, including 10 years covering health care business topics. He has a deep knowledge of the managed care industry and pharmacy benefit management. He also has experience covering medical conferences and clinical and legislative health care issues. In 2014, the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing selected Tim as one of 15 journalists to participate in a national symposium on the Affordable Care Act. Tim has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame and an M.B.A. from Georgetown University.

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