NCPA and five national organizations that treat and advocate for patients joined forces on Thursday, forming the Coalition for PBM Reform. The coalition is aimed at bringing transparency to PBMs, a part of the health care industry that is dominated by three Fortune 15 companies that control nearly 80 percent of prescriptions filled in the U.S. Joining NCPA in the coalition are FMI - Food Industry Association, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the National Federation of Independent Business, the Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations, and the Community Oncology Alliance.
“There is no transparency in how PBMs price medicines, reimburse pharmacies, or determine how much patients will pay at the counter,” NCPA CEO Douglas Hoey said. “Transparency is essential to any healthy market. There is none in the prescription drug market. Americans pay the highest drug prices in the world. And we’re the only country that has turned over prescription drugs to PBMs. We don’t think that’s a coincidence. NCPA has been fighting to reform the PBMs for many years. We’ve been fortunate to have worked with many of the members of this coalition on specific issues. This is the first time we’ve been part of such a broad coalition. Independent pharmacies, supermarket pharmacies, small business employers, patient advocates, and doctor groups are finally united. Separately, we’ve all made progress. United, we can turn the tide.”
