AMP is WAC (and other thoughts)
Latest posts and updates
ABOUT AMP is WAC
Average Manufacturer Price (AMP) is not equal to Wholesale Acquisition Cost (WAC), but it is close. And since the whole world of health policy and reimbursement is a bit WAC-y, that’s what we’re calling this update/blog part of the site. All of the opinions and thoughts presented here are our own and not the views of clients or affiliates.
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Delinking and Breaking the hold of PBMs
Read more: Delinking and Breaking the hold of PBMsLast week I did an explainer on what pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are and where the pain points were and why there was a focus on PBM reform. There is a lot of buzz around PBM bills on Capitol Hill last year with lots of bills in motion but, for now, I’d thought I’d hone…
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Caught my eye — 3/8/24
Read more: Caught my eye — 3/8/24Happy International Women’s Day. Best display of International Women’s day I’ve ever seen was in Russia when I was studying abroad. They took it SERIOUSLY. Not just a LinkedIn Holiday. Cat-astrophe? No, just a political speech – not reality. President Biden talked about increasing the number of negotiated drugs up to 50 a year. Not…
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PBMs Explained
Read more: PBMs ExplainedThere is a lot of talk about pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform. How PBMs aren’t transparent with pricing and can charge patients more at the point of sale than the drug costs the PBM. But I realized today that perhaps some background on PBMs and how we found ourselves here could be helpful for some…
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Caught my eye, Copay Accumulators, Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare Part D, Pharmacy Benefit ManagersCaught my eye — 3/1/24
Read more: Caught my eye — 3/1/24It took my until 5 pm on Thursday to figure out why there was a frog on the Microsoft tool bar. Leap year. Frog. Leap. Sigh. I prefer not. Congress seems to have hit the pause button (at least temporarily) on pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform. And that sort of felt okay because, realistically, things…
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Caught my eye — 2/23/24
Read more: Caught my eye — 2/23/24Gross to Net, a Saga. As soon as I saw Adam Fein’s Drug Channels article on Gross to Net in Part D redesign, I knew it would throw off my day. It was just catchy enough to cause a buzz and get the attention of Heads of Market Access at pharmaceutical companies and start the…
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Save the date: 4 for 1, IRA Arguments
Read more: Save the date: 4 for 1, IRA ArgumentsOn March 7 the District Court of New Jersey will hear oral arguments from 4 pharmaceutical companies against the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in one day – BMS, Janssen, Novartis and Novo Nordisk. When the arguments line up and time is ticking, get it done. All four companies have drugs that are part of the…
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Caught my eye — 2/16/24
Read more: Caught my eye — 2/16/24Honestly? Not a lot caught my eye this week. Maybe we were all heads down getting stuff done before a long weekend? You say MPPP, I say smoothing. Late yesterday afternoon the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released Draft 2 guidance for the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. I’ve heard Michael Ward from Alliance for…
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Yays and Nays
Read more: Yays and NaysThis afternoon I’m giving a talk to a group of patient advocates on the Medicare prescription drug benefit (Part D). As I prepared, I was struck by the fact that this is one of the few times that I feel that I’m (mostly) giving out good policy news. Are there downsides to the Medicare Part…
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Biosimilars, Caught my eye, Drug Prices, Healthcare Costs, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, Pharmacy Benefit Managers, ValueCaught my eye — 2/9/24
Read more: Caught my eye — 2/9/24A whirlwind of a week. I regrouped on Wednesday and got a run in and some pottery wheel time and then it all fell apart again (in a good way) on Thursday where I forgot to leave my desk for hours and hours. One of those “I love working” and forget time exists. So much…
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PBM Reform: A Different Bite at the Apple
Read more: PBM Reform: A Different Bite at the AppleYesterday afternoon, I caught the story that Johnson & Johnson was being sued by an employee who claims that the company (as an employer) was overpaying its pharmacy benefit manager (Express Scripts) and that these overpayments result in higher premiums, higher out-of-pocket expenses and limited increase in wages. The lawsuit uses an example of a…
Latest news
- AMP is WAC — 06/06/25
- AMP is WAC — 05/30/25
- AMP is WAC — 05/23/25
- Caught my eye — 5/16/25
- Initial Take on MFN Executive Order, Part II
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