Category: Pharmacy

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Channel Management, Industry Trends, PBMs, Pharmacy, Pharmacy Economics

NEW: The 2019 Economic Report on U.S. Pharmacies and Pharmacy Benefit Managers

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I am pleased to announce our new 2019 Economic Report on U.S. Pharmacies and Pharmacy Benefit Managers, available for purchase and immediate download. Click here to download a free report overview (including the Table of Contents and a List of Exhibits) New Drug Channels Institute Study Analyzes U.S. Drug Pricing and Rebates, Predicts Further Shakeout and Consolidation (press release) We’re offering special discounted pricing if you order before March 22, 2019! The 2019 Economic Report on U.S. Pharmacies and Pharmacy Benefit Managers is the only resource of its kind available anywhere. With 180 proprietary charts, exhibits, and data tables, the … Continue reading NEW: The 2019 Economic Report on U.S. Pharmacies and Pharmacy Benefit Managers

Copay Accumulator Adjustment, PBMs, Pharmacy, Specialty Drugs

Drug Channels News Roundup, February 2019: Diplomat’s Troubles, Sanofi’s Gross-to-Net Bubble, and the Legality of Accumulators

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Winter—or at least February—is almost over! Celebrate the imminent return of spring with our selection of noteworthy news from around the drug channel. In this issue: My $0.02 on Diplomat’s failures and the new realities of specialty pharmacy Sanofi’s 2018 gross-to-net bubble Legal issues for copay accumulators Plus, The Onion reports a health insurance miracle! P.S. My @DrugChannels Twitter account now has more than 7,000 followers. Join the fun for my daily commentary on the industry’s news. Read more » Copyright © 2006-2019 Pembroke Consulting, Inc. d/b/a Drug Channels Institute. Drug Channels® is a registered trademark of Pembroke Consulting, Inc. … Continue reading Drug Channels News Roundup, February 2019: Diplomat’s Troubles, Sanofi’s Gross-to-Net Bubble, and the Legality of Accumulators

Channel Management, Industry Trends, Mergers and Acquisitions, PBMs, Pharmacy, Specialty Drugs

The Top 15 U.S. Pharmacies of 2018: M&A Reshapes the Market

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Next week, Drug Channels Institute will release our 2019 Economic Report on U.S. Pharmacies and Pharmacy Benefit Managers. It’s the tenth edition of our popular and comprehensive examination of the entire drug pricing, reimbursement, and dispensing system. The exhibit below—one of 180 in our new report—provides a first look at the 15 largest pharmacies, ranked by total U.S. prescription dispensing revenues for calendar year 2018. As you will see, vertical and horizontal mergers and acquisitions are reshaping the pharmacy and PBM industries—and enabling the big to get even bigger. I highlight some of the major transactions that affected our ranking. … Continue reading The Top 15 U.S. Pharmacies of 2018: M&A Reshapes the Market

Medicare Part D, Narrow Networks, PBMs, Pharmacy

New Part D Enrollment Data: CVS Extends Its Lead in 2019 Preferred Pharmacy Networks

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has just released its first 2019 data on enrollment in Medicare Part D prescription drug plans (PDPs). Our exclusive analysis of these numbers finds that for 2019, 88.4% of seniors are enrolled in PDPs with preferred pharmacy networks. That’s a drop from last year’s figure of 99.9%. Below, we use the new enrollment data to analyze the major pharmacy chains’ position within the 22 major Part D plans that have preferred networks. As you will see, in 2019 CVS again looks poised to capture market share from Walgreens and Walmart, both of … Continue reading New Part D Enrollment Data: CVS Extends Its Lead in 2019 Preferred Pharmacy Networks

Direct and Indirect Remuneration (DIR), Industry Trends, Pharmacy, Pharmacy Economics

Independent Pharmacy Economics Keep Deteriorating

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Time for Drug Channels’annual look at independent pharmacy owners’ business economics, drawn from the recently released 2018 National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Digest, Sponsored by Cardinal Health. Here’s the press release: NCPA Releases 2017 Digest. Below, I update our estimates on pharmacy economics and margins. Our analysis reveals that independent pharmacy owners have faced another year of deteriorating finances. What’s more, we estimate that in 2017, the average pharmacy owner’s salary fell to a level comparable to that of an employed pharmacist. Owning a pharmacy, with all of its hassles and additional obligations, now brings the same reward as being … Continue reading Independent Pharmacy Economics Keep Deteriorating

Generic Drugs, Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs), PBMs, Pharmacy, Wholesalers

The Big Three Generic Drug Mega-Buyers Drove Double-Digit Deflation in 2018. Stability ahead?

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Oral generic drugs keep getting cheaper. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has intensified the generic industry’s competitive pressures with record drug approvals. The FDA’s actions, combined with the negotiating leverage of the large generic purchasing organizations, led to 2018’s persistent double-digit deflation in manufacturers’ selling prices for oral generic drugs. Below, we update our analysis of these generic drug mega-buyers. We estimate that for 2018, the three largest buyers  accounted for more than 90% of total U.S. generic drug purchases from manufacturers. In 2019, acquisitions and contract switches will shift market share among these groups, but not diminish their … Continue reading The Big Three Generic Drug Mega-Buyers Drove Double-Digit Deflation in 2018. Stability ahead?

Mergers and Acquisitions, PBMs, Pharmacy, Specialty Drugs, Wholesalers

Specialty Pharmacy M&A: Our Look at 2018’s Deals

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Let’s kick off 2019 with a quick review of last year’s specialty pharmacy mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Our list (below) includes only deals that were publicly announced in 2018. Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) were especially busy. CVS Health bought five specialty pharmacies. UnitedHealth’s OptumRx bought Avella Specialty Pharmacy, the largest independent specialty pharmacy. Diplomat Pharmacy was uncharacteristically quiet during 2018, though it had been one of the most active acquirers in previous years. The specialty pharmacy industry is rapidly maturing, so I expect many more exits in the coming years. Looking to pick up a fast-growing specialty pharmacy? Click here … Continue reading Specialty Pharmacy M&A: Our Look at 2018’s Deals

Channel Management, Health Care Policy, PBMs, Pharmacy, Supply Chain Technology, Wholesalers

A System Without Rebates: The Drug Channels Negotiated Discounts Model (rerun)

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This week, I’m rerunning some popular posts before the holidays. Click here to see the original post and comments from August 2018. This has been the most impactful article that I have ever published on Drug Channels. Review it and get ready for 2019. P.S. You can also find this material at www.WorldWithoutRebates.com. (Yes, we bought that domain!) Are you ready for a world without rebates? In June, Alex Azar, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), summarized his long-range vision for a new drug channel system: “[W]e may need to move toward a system without rebates, … Continue reading A System Without Rebates: The Drug Channels Negotiated Discounts Model (rerun)

340B, Health Care Policy, Hospitals, Pharmacy, Pharmacy Economics, Specialty Drugs

GAO Confirms It: 340B Hospitals and Contract Pharmacies Profit from Low-Income, Uninsured Patients (rerun)

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This week, I’m rerunning some popular posts before the holidays. Click here to see the original post and comments from July 2018. Expect 340B to stay in the news during 2019. Unfortunately, a sensible, bipartisan legislative fix still seems unlikely. The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) has just issued a must-read report on the 340B Drug Pricing Program: Federal Oversight of Compliance at 340B Contract Pharmacies Needs Improvement. Some of the report’s most startling revelations confirm our worst fears about how hospitals and pharmacies are abusing the 340B program. Here are two especially dispiriting findings from the GAO’s analysis: … Continue reading GAO Confirms It: 340B Hospitals and Contract Pharmacies Profit from Low-Income, Uninsured Patients (rerun)

Generic Drugs, Industry Trends, Pharmacy, Specialty Drugs, Wholesalers

Five Industry Trends for U.S. Drug Wholesalers in 2019

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Modern Distribution Management recently published my article 2018 MDM Market Leaders | Top Pharmaceuticals Distributors. It is an excerpt from our 2018–19 Economic Report on Pharmaceutical Wholesalers and Specialty Distributors. Below, I republish the section of the article highlighting five significant industry trends affecting the U.S. drug wholesaling industry. I think Drug Channels readers will enjoy this summary as we look toward 2019. Click here to download a free overview of the full 2018-19 report. P.S. I’ll be discussing these and other topics next week in my keynote address at CBI’s 14th Life Sciences Trade and Channel Strategies. Hope to see … Continue reading Five Industry Trends for U.S. Drug Wholesalers in 2019