14th Annual World Health Care Congress

April 30 – May 3, 2017 | Washington, DC

Don’t forget to reserve your seat at the table with Health Plan and Payer decision makers at the 14th Annual World Health Care Congress taking place April 30-May 3, 2017 in Washington, DC.

Early rates end January 12, 2017. Use promo code PC200 for an additional $200 savings off the early rates.*

The updated agenda is now available to download.

DON’T MISS THESE FEATURED SESSIONS!

• KEYNOTE: A Productive Conversation: Cross-Sector Initiatives to Find Affordability in Drug Pricing
• Discuss Innovative Business Strategies Essential to Excel in a Volatile Marketplace
• Pragmatic Approaches to Succeed at Value-Based Payment and Care
• Develop Internal Competencies, Best Practices, and Infrastructure to Improve Population Health and Manage High-Cost Areas
• Measure the Impact of Ambulatory Nursing in a Value-Oriented Health Care System
• Streamline Data Sharing and Use Predictive Modeling to Prevent Complex Issues and Improve Behavioral Care Delivery
• Assume Higher Risks for Greater Rewards in a Next Generation ACO
• Assess Opportunities and Challenges in MACRA to Determine the Most Suitable Models for Involvement
• Case Study: Develop a Bundle and Define an Episode of Care for Oncology

Who will be there? Click here to view a sample list of your colleagues who have already reserved their seat.

Complete your registration before January 12, 2017 using promo code PC200 for an additional $200 savings.* For an immediate reservation, call +1 781-939-2400 or reserve online.

World Congress looks forward to seeing you in DC.

*Discount not available on Government, workshop only or webcast rates. May not be combined with any other offer.

The content of Sponsored Posts does not necessarily reflect the views of Pembroke Consulting, Inc., Drug Channels, or any of its employees.

        

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For 2016, we estimate that total prescription dispensing revenues from specialty drugs at retail, mail, long-term care, and specialty pharmacies hit a record $115 billion. Specialty dispensing revenues continue to grow at double-digit rates, which is one reason specialty drugs make up a growing share of pharmacy industry revenues.

So it’s no surprise that there is a vigorous market for the buying and selling of specialty pharmacy companies. Let’s kick off 2017 with a quick review of last year’s 14 significant specialty pharmacy mergers a & acquisition (M&A) transactions. Our list below includes only deals that were publicly announced in 2016.

I expect many more transactions in 2017. If you’re looking to pick up a fast-growing specialty pharmacy, click here for your shopping list.

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sPCMA Business Forum

March 8 & 9, 2017

Hilton Bonnet Creek | Orlando, FL

The sPCMA Business Forum attracts many executives and decision makers from PBMs and the nation’s largest specialty pharmacies. The two-day event offers unparalleled networking and education for individuals and companies involved in specialty drug benefit management including specialty pharmacies, PBMs, pharma/biotech manufacturers, and others.

Conference features include:

• Receive CPE while participating in sessions led by senior industry thought leaders and decision makers
• Timely and insightful CPE sessions
• Dedicated time and extensive facilities for private meetings
• Scheduled networking events with other attendees

The new PCMA conference app allows users to access the attendee list, send messages to other attendees, create a personalized schedule, and access hotel maps–all in advance of the conference!

Contact PCMA

Please contact Jenny Dawson (jdawson@pcmanet.org) with questions or to request information about the Affiliate Program and conference sponsorships.

The content of Sponsored Posts does not necessarily reflect the views of Pembroke Consulting, Inc., Drug Channels, or any of its employees.

        

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Let's wrap up 2016 with a super popular chart that untangles prescription economics—the perfect present for a curious member of your family.  Click here to see the original post and comments from October 2016.



You should also check out Follow the Dollar: The Movie. See you in 2017!

Now, here’s something I hope you’ll really like!

I recently collaborated with Julie Appleby at Kaiser Health News (KHN) to explain the flow of funds between a pharmaceutical manufacturer and the patient.

The resulting graphic (below) uses a typical brand-name prescription to show the profits earned by key drug channel participants: manufacturers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), wholesalers, and pharmacies. It also illustrates the payer’s net costs and manufacturer’s net price.

KHN’s well-produced design complements the less pretty Rube Goldberg diagram that I shared in Follow the Dollar: The U.S. Pharmacy Distribution and Reimbursement System. The KHN chart may look like a PTCTU*, but it will help you understand the method to the madness.

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Last week, CMS officially scrapped its ill-conceived Medicare Part B Payment Model "experiment."  That's good news (for now) for oncology practices that buy-and-bill provider-administered drugs. (Click here to follow the buy-and-bill dollar.)

Don't let the CMS move make you complacent. Buy-and-bill will be changing. (Click here to see the original post and comments from July 2016.)

The distribution channel for provider-administered oncology drugs is undergoing significant change—notwithstanding the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) misguided and controversial Part B Drug Payment Model.

As you will see below, pharmacies—via white and brown bagging—have displaced buy-and-bill distribution channels for about one-quarter of oncology products. For the remaining purchases, community oncologists still rely on traditional buy-and-bill wholesale distribution channels. Hospital-based practices, however, are more likely to source products from the hospital’s pharmacy.

This shift has important implications for manufacturers’ channel strategies, specialty pharmacies’ business growth, distributors’ share of channel volume, and the expansion of 340B pricing to non-340B providers. When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

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Yesterday, Fred's Inc. announced its acquisition of 865 Rite Aid stores, thereby clearing the way for the Walgreens-Rite Aid deal to close. Today's rerun reviews Walgreens' new alliance with Prime Therapeutics. Fun fact: This article was the most viewed Drug Channels post of 2016! Click here to see the original post and comments from September2016.

ICYMI: Last week, Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) and Prime Therapeutics rolled out a highly innovative partnership. It could have wide-ranging implications for the drug channel’s next phase.

This novel union aligns a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), retail pharmacy chain, and health plans via joint ownership of a new mail and specialty pharmacy company. If executed properly, it will be a best-of-breed business model that could reshape the PBM and pharmacy industries. For manufacturers, organized customer management just got even more complicated.

The new business could also pose a serious challenge to pure-play PBMs that lack a health insurer partner or an economically-aligned retail dispensing channel. Below, I compare the capabilities of the new business those of the four largest PBMs.

Jim DuCharme, president and CEO of Prime Therapeutics, told me: “The PBM business model needs transforming. Prime wants to have a significant influence on transforming the PBM business before others try to fix it.” I am normally immune to hype, but he could be right. Read on and see if you agree.

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This week, I’m rerunning some popular posts. Let’s get ready for Walgreens’ new U.S. beauty strategy by revisiting my holiday photos from a Boots UK store visit. Click here to see the original post and comments from September 2013. (Yes, this is a deep cut from the archives!)

In August, my family and I spent a wonderful 9 days in a surprisingly sunny London. In addition to the usual tourist haunts, I visited a few Boots pharmacies. (Of course I did!) I gained valuable insight into a key overseas pharmacy player that is now part of Walgreens.

Below are my observations on how Boots compares with U.S. drugstore chains. From my photos, you’ll see some similarities but also very intriguing differences. And by publishing this post, I can convert my entire vacation into a business expense. (Shhh, don’t tell the IRS.)

Bonus: I’ve included a photo of my amazing visit to (full-size) Stonehenge. Drug Channels goes to 11!

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Partnering with IDNs BioPharma Strategy Summit

March 1-2, 2017 | Scottsdale, AZ

www.cbinet.com/IDNStrategySpring

As health systems continue to grow and merge to form larger Integrated Delivery Networks (IDNs), manufacturers are tasked with learning how to best contract with, and sell to, these evolving systems to ensure product success. With conflict of interest policies in place and restricted access to physicians, manufacturers are changing their sales approach to better reach and engage these new customers.

CBI’s Partnering with IDNs BioPharma Strategy Summit brings together manufacturers and IDNs to discuss tow to create a mutually beneficial partnership for continual care coordination, strategic product management and improved access.

Do Not Miss These Insights:

• Engaging panels discussing the IDN model of patient care coordination and what it can do to improve the patient experience on behalf of the provider, manufacturer, payer and other stakeholders
• A luminary showcase around the pros and cons of national specialty pharmacies versus IDN specialty pharmacies
• Changes in the hospital reimbursement model, focused on quality tied to outcomes measures
• Effective ways manufacturers can partner with health systems and support their goals
• And More!

Visit www.cbinet.com/IDNStrategySpring for more information. Drug Channels subscribers will save $400 off the standard registration rate when they use discount code XTG398.*

*Cannot be combined with other offers or used towards a current registration. Cannot be combined with special category rates. Other restrictions may apply.

The content of Sponsored Posts does not necessarily reflect the views of Pembroke Consulting, Inc., Drug Channels, or any of its employees.

        

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Well, that was…a year.

Beyond the obvious political shocks, I was quite surprised to find the spotlight shining on our humble little world of channel economics. Not quite as unexpected as last year’s lap dance from Amy Schumer—but pretty close!

I’m pleased to report that Drug Channels had a yuuuuge year. We now have more than 15,000 subscribers, including more than 3,300 @DrugChannels Twitter followers. In 2016, total page views on the site will be almost 900,000—up 25% compared with 2015.

Thank you, dear readers, for welcoming me into your inboxes and browsers. I’ve had fun and hope you did, too. I’m grateful to our many sponsors and guest writers. Special thanks to the brave souls who joined in the spirited discussions below the articles.

Below you’ll find a bonus stocking stuffer: the Drug Channels Update: Things to Watch in 2017 slides from my recent keynote presentation to a group of trade and channel executives from pharmaceutical manufacturers. It’s a sneak peek at some of next year's likely hot topics.

Drug Channels will return in 2017! In the meantime, please enjoy our annual tradition—a video holiday greeting from me and Paula, my wife and business partner.

We wish you and your family a peaceful and healthy 2017,

Adam

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