United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Health, Education, and Human Services Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1995-11-09 monographic deposited born digital 34 p. GA 1.13:HEHS-96-45 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-96-45 P0b002ee18039db03 f:he96045 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-HEHS-96-45 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-HEHS-96-45 HEHS-96-45 Pharmaceutical industry Competition limitation Cost control Drugs Unfair competition Monitoring Employee medical benefits Health insurance Sales promotion Cost effectiveness analysis Letter Report HEHS Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed mergers between pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) and pharmaceutical manufacturers, focusing on: (1) PBM role in the health care industry; (2) the mergers' objectives and effect on competition; and (3) the extent to which PBM have given preference to their manufacturer partners' drugs.<p/>GAO found that: (1) drug manufacturers have allied with PBM to help maintain their profits in an increasingly competitive marketplace; (2) PBM help health plan sponsors administer prescription drug benefits and help them contain their overall drug costs; (3) manufacturers rely on their PBM partners to help them develop new programs for treating specific diseases and increase the market share for their drugs; (4) critics of PBM alliances are concerned that the companies involved could act to restrict competition among manufacturers for inclusion on PBM formularies; (5) variations exist in the extent to which PBM have given preferences to their manufacturer partners' drugs; and (6) the Federal Trade Commission monitors PBM alliances to help ensure that PBM maintain competitive processes that allow other manufacturers to compete for low-cost designation for their drugs on PBM formularies. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-96-45/html/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-96-45.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-96-45/pdf/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-96-45.pdf GAO/HEHS-96-45 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-96-45 Letter Report GAO/HEHS-96-45; Pharmacy Benefit Managers: Early Results on Ventures with Drug Manufacturers; Pharmaceutical industry Competition limitation Cost control Drugs Unfair competition Monitoring Employee medical benefits Health insurance Sales promotion Cost effectiveness analysis