Pharmacy Benefit Managers Under Fire for Inflating Drug Costs

FTC report and independent pharmacies highlight the growing influence and controversial practices of PBMs in the U.S. healthcare system.

Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are accused of profiting by inflating drug costs and disadvantaging independent pharmacies.
The three largest PBMs—CVS Caremark, Cigna's Express Scripts, and UnitedHealth's Optum RX—control 80% of U.S. prescriptions.
Independent pharmacies report financial struggles due to low reimbursement rates from PBMs, threatening their survival.
State legislatures and the FTC are investigating PBM practices, with some states attempting to pass regulatory laws.
PBMs argue that they lower drug costs, but critics claim their practices harm patients and small pharmacies.