“How PBMs Work” Demonstrates How Pharmacy Benefits are Essential for Employers to Compete and Offer Affordable, High-Quality Health Care Benefits

(Washington, D.C.) — The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) announced today the launch of How PBMs Work, a national campaign to highlight the critical relationship between employers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

“Too often, the public policy discussion on prescription drug costs and PBMs reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of how PBMs work and who they serve. The How PBMs Work campaign will elevate the perspective and voice of America’s employers, the vast majority of which voluntarily choose to use a PBM to meet their unique needs and deliver better, more affordable prescription drug access to the enrollees in their health plans. Time and again, employers are emphasizing the need for flexibility and choice in working with PBMs so that they can compete and offer affordable, high-quality health care benefits for their employees,” said JC Scott, president and CEO, PCMA. “And time and again, the PBM market is showing its dynamism in offering new, innovative ways to respond to employers’ evolving needs in the face of escalating drug company prices.”

“The pharmaceutical industry has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on a false blame game designed to advance self-serving policies undermining PBMs,” Scott continued. “It’s time for policymakers to understand these policies, designed to boost the profits of drug companies, directly target the ability of America’s employers to offer affordable health care coverage.”

Pharmacy benefit companies save patients and health plan sponsors, including employers, an average of $1,040 per person every year. According to a recent national survey of employers, 89 percent say their PBM is valuable in helping their organization offer affordable benefits to employees, 97 percent are satisfied with their PBM, 93 percent say it is essential to have flexibility and a range of choices in how they offer prescription drug benefits to employees, and 86 percent say it is important to have a range of options in how they pay PBMs for their services and expertise.

The How PBMs Work campaign includes a new website, testimonials from employers, resources, including background and data on the PBM-employer relationship, and the launch of a new advertising campaign, elevating the critical perspective of employers in their own words.

Visit the new website and learn more about how PBMs work for employers and patients HERE. Watch one of the campaign’s testimonials from an employer HERE.

###

PCMA is the national association representing America’s pharmacy benefit companies. Pharmacy benefit companies are working every day to secure savings, enable better health outcomes, and support access to quality prescription drug coverage for more than 275 million patients.