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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CBI’s Specialty Product Data Strategies

December 14, 2016 | Philadelphia, PA

www.cbinet.com/specialtydata

Have you seen the agenda for the Specialty Product Data Strategies meeting yet? Being held on December 14th in Philadelphia, this is the pharma/bio industry’s only data summit devoted to specialty product returns with cutting-edge case studies and forward thinking presentations.

Featuring trailblazing insights from executives representing AstraZeneca, Bayer Healthcare Pharma, Biogen, Blue Fin Group, Therigy and ValueCentric, this meeting is poised to showcase how to strategically contract, analyze and utilize specialty data to illustrate value.

Topics at a Glance:

• Contracting Considerations – Acquisition and Collection of Specialty Product Data
• Decision-Making Journey for Coverage of Specialty Products
• Analyzing Specialty Pharmacy Data Sets
• Understanding FMV – Industry’s Going Rate for Specialty Product Data
• Integrated Delivery Network (IDN) – Specialty Pharmacy’s Role in the Delivery and Documentation of Improved Patient Outcomes
• Emergence of Specialty Pharmacy Data within Integrated Healthcare Systems – A Patient-Centered Model
• Tap Specialty Product Data to Propel Commercial Success and Enhance the Patient Experience

For more information, download the complete agenda. You can register online at www.cbinet.com/specialtydata Drug Channels readers will save $200 off of the standard registration rate when they use discount code JHQ838.*

*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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ICYMI: Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) has been lining up a broad range of preferred network agreements. In its latest move, Walgreens will unexpectedly displace CVS this December in the retail network for TRICARE, the healthcare program for uniformed service members, retirees, and their families. Click here to read the announcement. I provide additional details below.

TRICARE is the latest in a string of deals engineered by Stefano Pessina, our global channels overlord and executive vice chairman and chief executive officer of WBA. In case you’ve lost track, I summarize Walgreens’ recent preferred pharmacy arrangements with Express Scripts, OptumRx, Prime Therapeutics, UnitedHealthcare, and Valeant.

WBA appears to be sacrificing profits for volume. The scope and diversity of the deals, however, clearly reflects WBA’s previously articulated industry-wide partnering strategy. It also provides an intriguing contrast with CVS Health’s closed system approach.

Read on and be impressed.

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) just released the initial data on the 2017 Medicare Part D plans. Our exclusive analysis reveals that preferred cost sharing pharmacy networks are back.

For 2017, 85% of Medicare Part D regional prescription drug plans (PDP) will have a preferred network. That’s comparable to the figures from the past three years.

Below, I provide historical data on preferred networks’ growth and then identify 2017’s top plans. The two largest companies—UnitedHealthcare and Humana—offer only preferred networks for 2017. Both companies are also offering co-branded plans with retail chains: United Healthcare with Walgreens, and Humana with Walmart.

Such narrow pharmacy networks—either preferred or limited models—are now an unstoppable and widely accepted element of benefit design. Pharmacies will continue to see their prescription profit margins terminated. In a future post, I’ll be back to examine which chains and independents are participating in the preferred networks.

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December 13-14, 2016 | Philadelphia, PA

It’s a wild and crazy time in the drug channel. Get ready for 2017 by joining me at being held this December in beautiful Philadelphia, PA. I’ll update everyone on hot topics and identify key strategic issues for the year ahead.

November 9-10, 2016 | Philadelphia
Innovative drugs, with ever-improving outcomes, are the future of any pharma company. But for most of us, our ability to form partnerships and develop new value propositions in a patient-centric world are now just as important – if not more so.

or better or worse, Mylan’s EpiPen controversy has started an intriguing dialogue about my favorite subject: the economics of U.S. drug channels. Many news

or better or worse, Mylan’s EpiPen controversy has started an intriguing dialogue about my favorite subject: the economics of U.S. drug channels. Many news

or better or worse, Mylan’s EpiPen controversy has started an intriguing dialogue about my favorite subject: the economics of U.S. drug channels. Many news