Transparency in drug pricing
One of the top issues in work comp pharmacy – heck in all pharmacy – is transparency.
More than half of the 27 respondents to our latest Survey pf pharmacy management in workers’ comp want more transparency, while several others “need more transparency as I don’t feel comfortable not knowing if pricing is fair.”
The question is – what exactly is “transparency?
Is it the customer knowing what the PBM paid for the drug?
What about rebates?
Is it knowing what the pharmacy “charged” the PBM for that drug (which may or may not be what was paid)?
What about MAC pricing (Maximum Allowable Cost), where the PBM fixes the price it pays for a type of drug, say ibuprofen 800 mg, at a flat rate regardless of the drug manufacturer’s AWP price (there are lots of companies making ibuprofen 800mg)?
Net is “transparency” isn’t quite transparent.
What does this mean for you?
If you are evaluating PBMs, make very sure you understand exactly how they define transparency. The best way to compare is to have them reprice specific drugs from the same pharmacy dispensed on the same day.