
The Rx Research Corner is a blog written by the Research Team at PCMA. This blog will take a closer look at complex data and new research findings. Topics cover the PBM and prescription drug space and range from pricing, to policies, and to patient issues such as access and equity.

Generic Drugs Are an American Success Story, Here’s Why
Thanks to PBMs’ efforts to give patients an incentive to use them and pharmacies an incentive to purchase them at the lowest prices, generics are widely available and affordable for hundreds of millions of Americans.

Fun with (Medicare) Stars: Medication Adherence in Beneficiaries with Hypertension
Using data from CMS, we see increases in the average plan contract-level beneficiary adherence to hypertension medication. Gains in adherence translates to real people staying on their medications and having better health outcomes.

Introducing our New Blog Series: Fun with (Medicare) Stars
This blog introduces a new series of blog posts that will look at interesting trends using the CMS’s historical Part D Star Ratings data, focusing on four measures of prescription drug adherence.

CBO Report on Prescription Drug Trends
New report from the Congressional Budget Office highlights the value of PBMs in keeping net drug costs low for payers and patients.

PBM Technology and Expertise Improves Patient Health Outcomes
Pharmacy Benefit Managers reduce prescription drug costs for patients and use innovative technology to help patients get their prescriptions and lead healthier lives.

Orphan Drugs Sound Small but Can Lead to Big Drug Spending
High spending on prescription drugs with both orphan and non-orphan indications suggest potential misuse of Orphan Drug Act designations.

There are More Independent Pharmacies, Just Look at Real, Accurate Data
Using a gold-standard pharmacy dataset from the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) and a transparent methodology, PCMA produces credible research with a clear conclusion: there are more independent pharmacies now than any time over the last decade.

Mandating Pharmacy Reimbursement Will Increase Prescription Drug Spending
Paying pharmacies more for dispensing medications will raise prescription drug costs without improving value.

Biosimilars Versus Biologics – How About Both?
Biosimilars play an important role in lowering net costs.

The Upside of More Drugs: How Competition Among Brand-Name Drugs Works for Patients
PBMs leverage competition between drugs to create savings for patients.

“Patent Thickets” are Anti-Competitive and Lead to Higher Drug Costs
Patent thickets are a drug manufacturer’s strategy that keeps competitor products off the market and reduces PBMs’ ability to negotiate savings.

Clearing the Air: World Asthma Day
May is Asthma Awareness Month, and today – May 5 – is World Asthma Day. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America is marking the day with the release of their 2021 Asthma Capitals Report.

The Highly Competitive PBM Marketplace
According to a new analysis, there are now 70 PBMs operating in a diverse and competitive marketplace.

Introduction to the PCMA Rx Research Corner
Welcome to the new PCMA research blog.