Embedding Into the Provider’s Workflow is Key to a Specialty Drug’s Success

Today’s guest post comes from Nasir Ali, Chief Product Officer at CareMetx.

Nasir reviews the cumbersome processes that affect providers’ preferences when prescribing a specialty drug to their patients. He believes that embedding the specialty drug initiation process into the provider’s workflow will benefit both patients and prescribers.

Learn more by downloading CareMetx’s new 2024 Patient Services Report: Revealing Manufacturer Priorities: Patients Naturally Take Center Stage.

Read on for Nasir’s Insights.

Drug Channels News Roundup, August 2024: My $0.02 on the IRA’s MFPs, UNC’s New PBM, Amazon vs. Retail, Fixing 340B, and Mark Cuban Lets Loose

Another news-laden summer is ending. Time to pack away your bathing suit, send the kids back to school, and cherish these curated curiosities that I combed from the Jersey shore:

• Some uncomfortable realities of the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA’s) first set of 10 prices

• Amazon goes after retail pharmacies with an amusing lack of self-awareness

• A health system-backed start-up pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) will somehow deliver massive drug costs savings

• An intriguing solution for fixing the 340B program

Plus, Mark Cuban unloads on the healthcare system during an entertaining interview.

P.S. Join my nearly 58,000 LinkedIn followers for daily links to neat stuff along with thoughtful and provocative commentary from the DCI community.

Have you requested an invite to the inaugural Drug Channels Leadership Forum? Attendance will be highly limited, so apply now. Full agenda coming soon!

When Payers Become Producers: Inside the PBM Private-Labeling Trend

Today’s guest post comes from Benjamin Hinton II, Senior Market Access Solutions Analyst at MMIT.

Benjamin reviews the growing trend of PBMs vertically integrating into the production of biosimilars. He shares data from an MMIT survey of 20 large national payers, independent plans, Blues affiliates and PBMs (excluding participants). The findings shed light on payers' view of biosimilar conpetition, contracting challenges, and other issues.

Click here to learn more about MMIT’s Custom Market Research offering for biosimilar manufacturers.

Read on for Benjamin’s insights.

Can Rite Aid Recover?

Last fall, poor ol’ Rite Aid finally succumbed to bankruptcy. It was pretty much the definition of an expected surprise.

To get a comprehensive look at the company’s ever-declining fortunes, DCI rummaged around the compnay's numerous bankruptcy filings. Below, you’ll find our review of Rite Aid’s current financial situation, shrinking store footprint, changing relationship with key wholesaler McKesson, surprisingly optimistic projections, and more.

Drug Channels has been tracking retail pharmacies’ economic and business challenges—and Rite Aid’s troubles—for many years. Consider this article to be an opportunity for some fact-based analysis to replace your schadenfreude.

IRA Reality Check: Four Strategies for Adapting Hub and Copay Programs

Today’s guest post comes from Chris Dowd, Senior VP of Market Development at ConnectiveRx.

Chris reviews recent developments for the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA). He then recommends four IRA-related adjustments that manufacturers should make to their patient support programs.

To learn more, register for ConnectiveRx’s free webinar on September 17: IRA Reality Check: Adapting Hub and Copay Programs to Ensure Patient Access and Affordability.

Read on for Chris’s insights.

Follow the 340B Prescription Dollar: How PBMs Profit from 340B Contract Pharmacies (Video)

In my recent The 340B Drug Pricing Program: Trends, Controversies, and Outlook video webinar, I provided an update on the economics of the 340B program, reviewed the multiple controversies surrounding the program’s operations, discussed state and federal legislation, and analyzed how the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) will alter the 340B market.

In the video excerpt below, I walk through a brief history of 340B contract pharmacies. I then document how five multi-billion-dollar, for-profit, publicly traded pharmacy chains and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)—Cigna (via Express Scripts), CVS Health, UnitedHealth Group (via OptumRx), and Walgreens, Walmart—continue to dominate the 340B contract pharmacy market. I conclude with a “follow the dollar” example of 340B prescription economics with contract pharmacies.

If this clip whets your appetite for more, register to watch a replay of the full 90-minute video webinar from June.

You can also check out our recent data deep dive: Hospitals Are Relying More on PBMs to Manage Manufacturers' 340B Contract Pharmacy Restrictions: DCI's 2024 Market Analysis.

Click here if you can’t see the video below.

Mid-Year Hub Review: Five Considerations for Staying Ahead of the Curve

Today’s guest post comes from Stacey Little, Senior Vice President of Business Development and Marketing at AssistRx.

Stacey provides five crucial questions to help life science companies evaluate providers of patient support programs (PSPs).

To learn more, register for AssistRx's free three-part webinar series: Ahead of the Curve: Considerations for your 2025 Patient Support Program.

Read on for Stacey’s insights.