An e-mail, from Mark Merritt, president and CEO of the trade group Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, to the organization’s board, lays out a plan to develop an aggressive campaign to convince the new administration that the fault rests with pharmaceutical manufacturers.
The blame game of who is responsible for jacking up drug prices is at the cusp of turning into a full-blown war. A leaked e-mail, from Mark Merritt, president and CEO of the trade group Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA), to the organization’s board, lays out a plan to develop an aggressive campaign to convince the new administration that the fault rests with pharmaceutical manufacturers.
The e-mail, which was sent to the board in the first week of February, states that PCMA plans to develop a hardline strategy that will involve the Trump administration and “counter efforts to undermine PBMs’ [pharmacy benefit managers’] ability to reduce cost for payers and consumers.” The organization is trying to fast-track this process rather than go the traditional route of presenting a strategic update once key officials and new policies were in place, because they are unsure of the responses from a nonconventional presidency that does not seem to have faith in a deliberative process.
The 6-point plan that Merritt presented to the board lists the following strategies:
6. Mobilizing pro-payer allies and policy solutions. Efforts are on to align with health plans on their approach to the drug price issue. This will include conversations with the America’s Health Insurance Plans, The American Action Forum, and others.
Referencing the recent meetings between top drug manufacturers and the president, Merritt states in his e-mail that the blame was placed squarely on “bloated supply chains.” In a separate meeting of Stephen J. Ubl, CEO of the Pharmaceutical Researchers of Manufacturers America (PhRMA) and 6 members of the PhRMA board with President Donald Trump, the following strategies for drug price reduction were discussed:
Meanwhile, underscoring the urgency of the issue at hand, Merritt wrote that it is important that “we cut through the clutter and make our case as vocally and effectively as possible.”
PBMs have been accused of implementing practices that drive up drug prices. A recent white paper commissioned by the Community Oncology Alliance, for example, blamed PBMs of administering direct and indirect remuneration, or DIR, fees that inflate prices for Medicare Part D beneficiaries. PCMA out rightly denied the report’s findings.
Standard Criteria for Loss of Ambulation Needed in DMD
April 19th 2024A recent study suggests the differences between ambulation definitions for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) can impact the identification of ambulant vs nonambulant individuals, and standard criteria across settings are needed.
Read More
Navigating Health Policy in an Election Year: Insights From Dr Dennis Scanlon
April 2nd 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with Dennis Scanlon, PhD, the editor in chief of The American Journal of Accountable Care®, about prior authorization, price transparency, the impact of health policy on the upcoming election, and more.
Listen
An Overview of Health Care and Pharmaceutical Trends, 2023-2024
April 19th 2024Douglas M. Long, BA, MBA, was featured as the keynote speaker on the closing day of The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2024 annual meeting, with a session dedicated to surveying the health care and pharmaceutical trends of the last year.
Read More
Exploring Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization Variations
March 26th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the March 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on variations in prior authorization use across Medicare Advantage plans.
Listen
Real-World Study Reveals Key Insights Into DLBCL Treatment Patterns, Outcomes
April 18th 2024A recent study offers valuable insights into the characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in patients across different lines of therapy, providing a look into the landscape of DLBCL management.
Read More