While Big Pharma pushes misguided policies targeting pharmacy benefits as part of a blame game designed to keep prescription drug prices high, former Members of Congress are reminding current lawmakers that they’ve seen this movie before. Congress has considered similar proposals and concluded that they would undermine the critical value and savings that pharmacy benefit companies deliver for patients, employers, and taxpayers.

Former Congressman Joseph Pitts, who previously chaired the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, wrote a recent op-ed explaining how Big Pharma’s blame game is behind misguided policies targeting pharmacy benefits:

“For years now, industry stakeholders have floated a significant amount of lobbying dollars around Washington in an extensive lobbying campaign to dupe elected representatives… it’s simply not true that [pharmacy benefit managers] (PBMs) are the reason drug prices have been rising so steadily.”

“PBMs’ mission is simple — to get the best drug pricing they can for their clients, which includes anyone who purchases healthcare, whether they be employers, unions, or insurers. And the numbers don’t lie. They’ve been very effective in doing so.”

In another op-ed, former Congressman Ryan Costello, who served on the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce with jurisdiction over much of the health care industry, discussed the important role of pharmacy benefit companies in delivering value for patients and health plan sponsors in his home state of Pennsylvania:

“PBMs advocate on health plans’ behalf in drug price negotiations. They secure bulk discounts, push for the use of cheaper brands, and provide countless other services to keep drug prices low…”

“PBMs have been nothing but a blessing for my former constituents. I have talked to many Pennsylvania county commissioners, unions, and businesses who have said that PBMs provide endless benefits to the people they serve. The data confirms these anecdotes. Private studies have shown PBMs save patients nearly $1,000 per person a year. The Government Accountability Office, the supreme audit institution of the United States, also found they offset Medicare Part D spending by nearly $30 billion in a single year.”

These former lawmakers join a growing chorus of experts highlighting that pharmacy benefit companies deliver proven savings for Americans. Congress should learn from their experiences and focus on policies that will strengthen competition in the prescription drug market – a step that will bring real change to prescription drug prices.

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See what more lawmakers have had to say about pharmacy benefits securing savings for employers and patients, and the root cause of high prescription drug prices – Big Pharma’s anti-competitive tactics – HERE.

Read what lawmakers and pharmacy benefit companies had to say about the critical role pharmacy benefits play in making prescription drugs more affordable and accessible HERE.

Learn more about the critical role of pharmacy benefit companies and how Big Pharma’s egregious practices are the root cause of high drug prices HERE.

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PCMA is the national association representing America’s pharmacy benefit companies. Pharmacy benefit companies are working every day to secure savings, enable better health outcomes, and support access to quality prescription drug coverage for more than 275 million patients. Learn more at www.pcmanet.org