Although a great deal of attention concerning prescription drug prices centers on the prices charged by pharmaceutical manufacturers themselves, markups in the distribution chain—pharmacy benefit managers, wholesalers, and pharmacies—are often substantial. Despite the large role that these actors play, little is known about the discounts they negotiate or markups they charge and how those relate to what patients ultimately pay.
On Wednesday, June 14, the USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Innovation in Health Policy will host a forum to explore the many segments of the drug distribution chain and examine proposals to reduce price markups through increased competition.
The event will feature a presentation of two new papers: one estimating profitability in the distribution chains of both branded and generic drugs and another proposing a transparency scheme to foster competition in the distribution of generic pharmaceuticals. Stakeholder panels will follow the presentations of these two papers, to discuss approaches to increase competition in brand and generic drug distribution.
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This conference is a product of the Schaeffer Initiative for Innovation in Health Policy, a partnership between the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics at the University of Southern California and the Center for Health Policy at Brookings.
- Event Date
- Wednesday, June 14, 2017
9:00 AM - 11:15 AM Eastern - Location
- The Brookings Institution
Faulk Auditorium
1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC
Panel
9:00 AM
Opening Remarks | Dana Goldman, Leonard D. Schaeffer Director's Chair, USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics; Distinguished Professor of Public Policy, Pharmacy & Economics
9:05 AM
Presentation of "The Flow of Funds in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain" | Neeraj Sood, Professor of Public Policy and Director of Research, Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics, University of Southern California
9:20 AM
Panel | Fostering Competition in the Brand Drug Distribution Chain
- Moderator: Paul Ginsburg, Director, Schaeffer Initiative for Innovation in Health Policy, Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Health Policy at Brookings
- Joshua Ofman, Senior Vice President, Global Value & Access, Amgen
- Matt Eyles, Executive Vice President, Policy and Regulatory Affairs, AHIP
- Lynn Quincy, Director, Healthcare Value Hub, Consumers Union
- Ed Adamcik, Chief Pharma Trade Relations Officer, Express Scripts
10:00 AM Break
10:15 AM | Presentation of "Would Price Transparency for Generic Drugs Lower Costs for Payers and Patients?" | Steve Lieberman, Nonresident Fellow, Center for Health Policy at Brookings
10:30 AM
Panel | Fostering Competition in the Generic Drug Distribution Chain
- Moderator: Darius Lakdawalla, Professor and Quintiles Chair in Pharmaceutical Development and Regulatory Innovation, USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics
- B. Douglas Hoey, CEO, National Community Pharmacists Association
- Tom Moriarty, Executive VP, Chief Policy & External Affairs Officer and General Counsel, CVS Health
- B. Douglas Hoey, CEO, National Pharmacists Association
- Christine Simmon, Senior Vice President, Policy & Strategic Alliances and Executive Director, Biosimilars Council, Assocation for Accessible Medicines
- Matt Eyles, Executive Vice President, Policy and Regulatory Affairs, AHIP