Litigation Lawyer on PBMs and Defending Independent Pharmacies
Experienced litigation lawyer Mark Cuker sat down with Drug Topics to discuss pharmacy benefit managers and their often corrupt practices.
In a conversation with Drug Topics, Mark Cuker, an experienced litigation lawyer, discussed his experience defending independent pharmacies against pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and what the future holds for independent pharmacies and PBM regulation.
PBMs are the pharmaceutical middlemen between pharmacies dispensing prescription drugs and the insurance companies that facilitate access to those drugs.
Mark Cuker sat down with Drug Topics to discuss pharmacy benefit managers and their often corrupt practices. | image credit: Darwin Brandis / stock.adobe.com
“Over the decades, PBMs have expanded their influence in the pharmaceutical supply chain and now handle claims processing, formularies, pharmacy networks, mail order pharmacies, and contracting with wholesalers and manufacturers. As their role and visibility have increased, PBMs have come under increased scrutiny from policymakers,” wrote Mattingly et al.1
READ MORE: What States are Doing to Regulate Pharmacy Benefit Managers
PBMs have recently gained increased attention for the ways they manage the purchasing and distribution of prescription drugs in the US. From an FTC investigation launched in 2022 to several Congressional hearings in the following 2 years,2 PBM practices have been put under a microscope, but not much has been done to change the narrative.
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References
1. Mattingly TJ, Hyman DA, Bai G. Pharmacy benefit managers: history, business practices, economics, and policy. JAMA Health Forum. 2023;4(11):e233804. doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.3804
2. FTC launches inquiry into prescription drug middlemen industry. FTC. June 7, 2022. Accessed May 23, 2024. https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/06/ftc-launches-inquiry-prescription-drug-middlemen-industry
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