Analysis

Posted by Drug Channels Institute, an HMP Global company on Friday, August 29, 2014

Labels: Hospitals, Health Care Policy, 340B, Pharmacy

I’m taking a break from blogging this week and rerunning some of 2014's most popular posts. Click here to see the original post and comments from June 2014.

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Four of the biggest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)—Catamaran, CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and Prime Therapeutics—have now released their 2013 drug trend reports. The reports provide valuable marketplace insights. Just cite them with caution.

As the chart below shows, this year’s results are as mystifying as ever. Express Scripts had the highest overall drug trend, but the lowest specialty trend. Prime Therapeutics had a negative traditional trend, but the highest specialty trend. And so on.

Alas, the top-line figures don’t tell the full story, because of methodology and data presentation differences. As I noted last year, a PBM’s drug trend report is the bikini of pharmaceutical economics. What it reveals is interesting, but what it conceals is essential. Read on for the figure-hugging details.

Posted by Drug Channels Institute, an HMP Global company on Thursday, August 28, 2014

Labels: Specialty Drugs, Industry Trends, Costs/Reimbursement, PBMs, Benefit Design

I’m taking a break from blogging this week and rerunning some of 2014's popular posts. Click here to see the original post and comments from May 2014.

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Last week, I attended the bigger-than-ever Armada Healthcare Specialty Pharmacy Summit & Expo, in Las Vegas.

Larry and Robert Irene outdid themselves with this 10th annual event, which had an astounding 3,000+ attendees. All facets of the industry were represented, making for top-quality networking and meetings. (Loved the lounge, BTW.) And the Wynn, my favorite Vegas hotel, never disappoints.

As usual, the meeting shed light on where the specialty market is heading. In violation of Vegas code, I'll tell you what happened there … or at least the part related to specialty pharmacy. Read on for my seven trends for specialty pharmacy's future, plus a bonus photo of me with two notable conference attendees.

Posted by Drug Channels Institute, an HMP Global company on Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Labels: Specialty Drugs, Channel Management, Industry Trends, Pharmacy

I’m taking a break from blogging this week and rerunning some of 2014's popular posts. Click here to see the original post and comments from February 2014.

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As predicted, McKesson and Rite Aid announced a new generic purchasing agreement. Click here to read the press release.

Once they get organized, McKesson-Celesio-Rite Aid will be the largest generics buyer in the world. (See table below.) The new relationship has some common elements with the Walgreens-AmerisourceBergen (ABC) tie-up, although McKesson gains a more valuable sourcing position compared to ABC.

More significantly, the deal continues a revolution in how wholesalers interact with their biggest retail customers. Below, I contrast the various wholesaler-customer deals and highlight implications for wholesalers’ channel role, generic buying, downstream speculative buying, AMP-based FULs, and more. Be prepared for more change.

Posted by Drug Channels Institute, an HMP Global company on Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Labels: Average Manufacturer Price (AMP), Wholesalers, Generic Drugs, Channel Management, Pharmacy

Specialty Pharmacy and Distribution Networks

October 28-29, 2014 | Philadelphia, PA

www.cbinet.com/specialtydistribution

Now in its fifth year, the Specialty Pharmacy Distribution Networks Conference uniquely addresses the complexity of commercialization and market access of specialty products. Key players come together to discuss the importance of creating an optimal distribution network in order to reach patients in need and provide the necessary specialized services. Hear perspectives from CVS Caremark, Depomed, Genzyme, Johnson & Johnson, Prime Therapeutics, Blue Fin Group, Raptor Pharmaceuticals, Sonexus Health, and more.

Can’t Miss Content Includes:

• Evolution of Specialty Pharmacy Market and Dynamics of Marketplace Consolidation
• Specialty Product Coverage and Reimbursement Challenges for Enhanced Patient Access
• Channel Options to Achieve Optimal Product Uptake and Commercial Success
• Next Generation Specialty Pharmacy Contracting Models and Approaches
• Distribution Strategies that Meet REMS Requirements and Optimize Commercialization
• Downstream Impact of COT Implications
• Impact of Track and Trace Legislation on Distribution Strategies
• Product-Specific Channel Nuances Based on Top Specialty Therapeutic Categories

Drug Channels readers will save $400 off of the standard registration rate when they use code RAU672.* Register today!

*Cannot be combined with other offers or used towards a current registration. Other restrictions may apply.

Posted by Drug Channels Institute, an HMP Global company on Monday, August 25, 2014

Labels: Sponsored Post

Wow, hard to believe that summer is almost over. Pack up the beach chairs, send the kids back to school, and enjoy this curated collection of curiosities, combed from the Drug Channels beach.

In this issue:

• Walgreen's Billion-Dollar Blunder (from the front page of today's Wall Street Journal)
• Pharmacies’ Compounding Profits
• A Useful Primer on 340B
• Déjà Vu for Bad Medicare Part D Ideas

It’s late August, so please enjoy another fun Weird Al video as your bonus.

Posted by Drug Channels Institute, an HMP Global company on Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Labels: Generic Drugs, 340B, Narrow Networks, Medicare Part D, Pharmacy Economics

Real-Time Benefit Verification & ePrior Authorization
October 23-24, 2014 | San Francisco, CA
www.cbinet.com/eprior

As more patients become insured due to healthcare reform, many questions arise around how to best select health plans based on personal health needs, patient eligibility, coverage benefits and out-of-pocket projections. Delays in the benefit investigation/verification process and subsequent submission of paper-based prior authorization requests can lead to harmful delays in patient access to treatment and therapy drop-off.

CBI’s premier Real-Time Benefit Verification & ePrior Authorization Forum convenes key stakeholders to address these challenges and discuss the adoption of ePrior authorization (ePA) and other emerging electronic patient services/technologies to ultimately streamline patient access to medication.

Hear from manufacturers, payers, PBMs, prescribers, leading service providers and more on this evolving and critically important topic. Speakers come from such organizations as AssistRx, Avanir Pharmaceuticals, CoverMyMeds, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Express Scripts, Gilead Sciences, Lash Group, MedImmune, Medivation, Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Pfizer, Point-of-Care Partners, Prime Therapeutics, Rhodes Pharmaceuticals, Sonexus Health, UBC, and more.

Register Today! Drug Channels subscribers will save $400 off of the standard registration rate when they use code YRK398.*

*Cannot be combined with other offers or used towards a current registration. Other restrictions may apply.

Posted by Drug Channels Institute, an HMP Global company on Monday, August 18, 2014

Labels: Sponsored Post

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal's Pharmalot blog covered our generic drug price inflation analysis. See How Much? Some Generic Drug Prices Are Skyrocketing: Analysis.

The article includes some additional quotes from yours truly, along with comments from Actavis and the GPhA. Highlights below.

In case you didn't know, Ed Silverman is now rocking his great Pharmalot blog over at the Wall Street Journal. You can follow the @Pharmalot twitter feed or subscribe via RSS.

Posted by Drug Channels Institute, an HMP Global company on Friday, August 15, 2014

Labels: Generic Drugs, Drug Shortages, Industry Trends, Costs/Reimbursement

As I note in yesterday’s post Retail Generic Drug Inflation Reaches New Heights, half of all retail generic drugs became more expensive over the past 12 months.

Today, let’s discover who’s winning and who’s losing within the drug channel. I consider generic and brand-name drug manufacturers, wholesalers, pharmacies, third-party payers, and consumers.

Let me know what you think by commenting below.

Posted by Drug Channels Institute, an HMP Global company on Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Labels: Generic Drugs, Industry Trends, Costs/Reimbursement, Pharmacy, Wholesalers, Channel Management, PBMs, Pharmacy Economics

Surprise! Retail generic drugs are no longer getting cheaper over time.

Our latest exclusive analysis (below) finds that half of all retail generic drugs became more expensive over the past 12 months. And some of those drugs got much, much more expensive. One out of 11 generic drugs more than doubled in cost, with some increases exceeding 1,000 percent.

Product shortages appear to be the primary culprit. How did our retail drug supply chain become so fragile?

Drop by tomorrow, when I’ll review the winners and losers from this crazy phenomenon.

Posted by Drug Channels Institute, an HMP Global company on Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Labels: Average Acquisition Cost (AAC), Generic Drugs, Drug Shortages, Costs/Reimbursement