Any week now, the Federal Trade Commission is expected to rule on the proposed merger between Medco Health Services and Express Scripts. Pills Trouble is, outside of Wall Street and the drug industry, theres little interest in the deal. Thats because by its very nature, the arcane world of pharmacy benefit managers isnt exactly the thing of dinner table conversation. Yet what they do is. Theyre the middleman between you, your drug store and your insurer. They control the cost of what you pay for drugs and which drug stores you should use. And based on deals they strike with drug companies, they even try to influence what drugs you takein some cases refusing to fill the script recommended by your doctor. "Since when is less competition ever good for all but investors? Id go so far as to say theyre the key player in what some might argue is one-step removed from a legal drug cartel. Few markets are as concentrated, opaque and complex and subject to rampant anticompetitive and deceptive conduct such as the PBM market, is the way industry critic David Balto, a former FTC lawyer, put it in testimony before the Department of Labor in 2010 … Continue reading →

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- At the IMS Managed Markets Services/Data Niche Conference in Las Vegas on March 1, Walgreens National Medical Director Robert London, M.D., outlined how Walgreens research has demonstrated the ability of face-to-face pharmacy and Take Care ClinicSM programs to drive better health outcomes across a number of conditions and disease states. Dr. London also highlighted the benefits of these types of programs for the Medicaid population in particular. In his presentation titled, Leveraging a New Delivery Paradigm to Improve Quality in the Medicaid Population, Dr. London discussed why traditional disease management efforts have shown to be lacking. He then highlighted the advantages that the new offerings provided by Walgreens have shown, including: The power of pharmacist and nurse practitioner-led, face-to-face programs is clearly demonstrated, said Dr. London. Whether delivered through a community pharmacy, retail clinic or worksite health center, these interactions allow for an individualized approach to disease management while meaningfully improving health outcomes. The Medicaid population in particular stands to benefit from these types of outcomes-driven, face-to-face programs. With a huge expansion in the Medicaid eligible population looming, cost control becomes even more important. It will be vital to find solutions such as those offered by Walgreens … Continue reading →

LAS VEGAS -- A Las Vegas pharmacy that has been around for decades is closing its doors. White Cross Drugs on Las Vegas Boulevard can no longer stay in business after it's supplier cut them off from ordering prescription drugs. White Cross has been at the same location for 60 years. It has served locals, tourists, and even the stars performing on the Las Vegas Strip. It was also the first 24-hour pharmacy in the valley. On Tuesday at 7 p.m., the pharmacy will be no longer. For store employees and customers, the sudden news is something of a shock. "It's a family. You come in and they know who you are. It's not a Walgreens, its not a CVS, not a Rite Aid, it's a neighborhood pharmacy," said George Goodman who has been a customer for more than 30 years. He's had knee replacement surgery, throat cancer, and others illnesses. His story is just one of many since the pharmacy opened in 1960. "We use to service Elvis, the Rat Pack, everybody came here, the showgirls," said White Cross Drugs owner Marcie Davis. She has worked at the pharmacy for 21 years. Eight years ago, she bought the pharmacy, … Continue reading →

By Andrew Dillard - March 5, 2012 | Tickers: CVS, ESRX, MHS | 0 Comments Andrew is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinions of our bloggers and are not formally edited. This morning I was reading a colorful article by CNBCs Senior Stock Commentator Herb Greenberg about the problems with the pharmacy benefit management industry. In his article Herb egregiously attacks PBMs such as Express Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX), Medco (NYSE: MHS) and CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) arguing that PBMs are one step removed from a legal drug cartel and the inner-workings of PBMs and the mechanics of the deals they strike with drug companies are simply too complicated. The primary goal of this article I believe is to protest the pending merger between Express Scripts and Medco, because as Mr. Greenberg puts it, Since when is less competition ever good for all but investors? However, the half-hearted attempt at writing a unbiased article has clouded the point Mr. Greenberg is making and unfairly painted PBMs as an evil industry. Mr. Greenberg could not be farther from the truth, and heres why. In the article, Mr. Greenberg over-simplifies the role that PBMs play … Continue reading →

NASHVILLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- HealthLeaders-InterStudy, the leading provider of managed care market intelligence, has enhanced its Pharmacy Benefit Evaluator, a Web-based product that analyzes health plan pharmacy benefit structure and spending. Now available with a 10-report Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) series, the Pharmacy Benefit Evaluator platform is a vital tool for managed care sales teams as it provides clarity into the pharmacy benefit manager book of business. Pharmacy Benefit Evaluator delivers comprehensive data on managed care pharmacy purchasing including: Previously, HLI only offered intelligence of PBMs through a database platform. The PBM profiles will be updated throughout the year, capturing the latest developments among the profiled pharmacy benefit managers. In addition to key market events, the reports will also include competitive analysis, markets covered, and products and services offered by each company. The PBM industry represents a large and growing segment of healthcare. Because of the move by many employers to self-insurance, the PBM space will be even more influential, said Carolyn McMeekin, principal director of managed markets analysis for HealthLeaders-InterStudy. The enhancements to the Pharmacy Benefit Evaluator provide users a one-stop source for data and analysis of this important industry. The Pharmacy Benefit Manager reports will include the following companies: About … Continue reading →