By Amanda Frost, PhD Vice President, Research, PCMA The law of unintended consequences, when an action produces unexpected effects outside of its goal. The ripple effect, a single small action causing a chain of larger

By Amanda Frost, PhD Vice President, Research, PCMA Concerns about high health care costs are prevalent and appropriate, but can be often focused on the wrong place. Vertical integration (VI) is one area that is receiving attention from state and federal policymakers, with a focus on health insurers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and pharmacies. But the rhetoric around VI’s costs is increasingly disconnected from the data.  Evidence of