Washington, DC; 01.03.05 —The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) released the following statement in response to final model Medicare formulary guidelines unveiled today by the US Pharmacopeia (USP). PCMA is the national association representing America’s pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs):

“America’s seniors and disabled Medicare beneficiaries deserve a prescription drug benefit that builds upon the proven record of pharmacy benefit managers in balancing cost, access, and quality for millions of Americans. Working collaboratively with consumers, pharmacists, physicians, employers, health insurers, and others, PBMs help drive down the cost of prescription drugs by an average of 25 percent, improve clinical outcomes, and help keep drug benefits affordable.

“US Pharmacopeia has completed a difficult task. While more expansive than what is typically found in the commercial marketplace, USP’s model Medicare formulary guidelines preserve the ability of PBMs to develop formularies that reflect those found in the commercial market. In addition, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has also recently provided additional insight on how it will evaluate Medicare formularies, which further acknowledges the value of commercial-market practices.

“Taken together, PCMA believes the model formulary guidelines represent a workable approach that will assure Medicare beneficiaries access to the medicines they need.”

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The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) is the national trade association representing America’s pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). PCMA member companies provide pharmaceutical care management services to more than 200 million Americans.

Contact Information:
Phil Blando
202-207-3614