(Washington, DC)—Two new research papers posted today on Health Affairs’ website underscore the potential that value-based purchasing and comparative effectiveness can play in promoting health care quality, improving outcomes, and providing cost savings, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) said today.

PCMA today reiterated its call for a national discussion about how best to advance collaborative private-public partnerships that promote value-based purchasing and provide consumers, clinicians, and payors with data needed to make informed health care decisions.

“PBMs have been at the forefront of promoting value-based purchasing to ensure patients access to cost-effective, clinically proven prescription drugs that promote health and well-being, while reducing costs,” said PCMA President Mark Merritt. “PCMA believes it is critical that we continue building on this model and promote these principles throughout the entire health care delivery system. PCMA today reiterates its call for a broader national discussion in this area.”

PCMA believes strongly that a broad-based consensus is emerging among consumers, clinicians, policymakers, and private and public payors about the need to evaluate competing drug therapies and better utilize scarce resources. PBMs have led the way in these efforts, especially through pharmacy & therapeutics (P&T) committees and a wide range of pharmacy management tools, including multi-tier formularies, step therapy, and prior authorization. PCMA has been supportive of a wide-range of private and public efforts to improve the information available to consumers, clinicians, and payors, including those at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Consumers Union, and AARP.

The new Health Affairs reports can be found at www.healthaffairs.org.

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PCMA is the national association representing America’s pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which lower the cost of prescription drugs for more than 200 million Americans with coverage provided through Fortune 500 employers, health insurers, labor unions, and Medicare Part D

Contact Information:
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Charles Coté 202-207-3605