The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association released a new policy platform, which includes six ways it says that federal policymakers can support lower drug costs.
In February, Congress instituted significant reforms for the pharmacy benefit management industry after years of bipartisan discussion on the matter. Changes include requirements that PBMs pass-through all rebates, fees and other funds to the payer, and for PBM fees in Medicare Part D to be "delinked" from the list price of drugs.
With those reforms in place, PCMA — which is the leading lobbying organizations for the PBM industry — said lawmakers should turn their attention to several other policy priorities if they want to truly drive down drug costs through its new "Path to Patient Affordability" platform.
Four of the six proposals center on drug manufacturers, as Big Pharma and PBMs have spent years sparring over who is to blame for the rising cost of prescriptions. PCMA said that legislators should bar drugmakers from "anticompetitive practices" such as patent thickets that block competition from generics and can lead to higher costs.
In addition, PCMA is urging lawmakers to reduce the monopoly period for biologic therapies, allowing for biosimilar substitution, and require greater transparency from drug wholesalers on their pricing and business practices. The platform also calls for policymakers to "rein in" pharmaceutical companies' spending on direct-to-consumer advertising.
David Marin, president and CEO of PCMA, said in an announcement that the policy proposals "target key pain points in the supply chain and advance practical, actionable solutions."
“Every policy in this platform is grounded in one objective: helping patients get the medications they need at a price they can afford," he said.
"Affordability won’t happen by accident," Marin continued. "It will require a system that promotes competition, encourages innovation and demands transparency across the supply chain."
Beyond policies aimed at drugmakers, the platforms also calls for lawmakers to push doctors to use electronic tools that can inform patients of their lowest-cost drug options before they reach the pharmacy counter, and offer pathways for pharmacists to be paid for clinical services, a likely boon for independent pharmacies.
Each of the pillars includes multiple specific suggestions for policymakers to consider. For example, making it easier for pharmacy technicians to offer certain services, such as providing vaccinations, would likely free up pharmacists to do more direct clinical care.
Supporting tele-pharmacy services, such as remote medication management, could reach people in rural or underserved regions, per the platform.
To encourage biosimilar adoption, PCMA recommends lowering the market exclusivity period for new biologics from 12 years to seven years, and by making generic and biosimilar substitution the default option.
"We can make health care more affordable for patients," Marin said. "The solutions exist and we want to be part of the solution."