CPR Seminar: A Series of Master Classes on Pharmacy

Catalyst for Payment Reform's 300-Level Course is designed to give students the experience of one-on-one learning with industry experts!

Welcome to this CPR Seminar featuring a series of master classes on pharmacy! Featuring 6 video lectures, industry experts delve into the current state of the pharmaceutical market, how purchasers can gain value in such a challenging space, and what the future holds.

SYLLABUS:

Denise Giambalvo from the Midwest Business Group on Health opens the course and provides the context and history of the PBM industry, discusses formulary management strategies employers and other health care purchasers have traditionally used, and how the pharmacy market is transforming.

Joey Dizenhouse from HealthTrust Purchasing Group discusses how the U.S. pharmacy industry is exceptionally unique and unlike any other consumer goods industry in the world; the meaning of true transparency in PBM contracts (and the cost of not paying attention); and demystifying PBM transparency and transparency-anchored misconceptions.

Michelle Harika from Equity Healthcare dives into how purchasers can best navigate the RFP process and select the best PBM for their organization’s unique needs and culture, the importance of consulting with a true pharmaceutical industry expert in decision making, and how optimizing pharmacy spend can be achieved through thoughtful benefit design.

Mike Stull from Employers Health Coalition discusses strategies, best practices, and practical advice for purchasers looking to succeed in a challenging market, how purchasers can best manage utilization under their pharmacy benefit plan, including determining the appropriate level of utilization management to use, and real-life examples of how purchasers at Employers health are taking action.

Connie Perry from PricewaterhouseCoopers talks about the cost and impact of specialty medication and understanding specialty drugs, including the difference between traditional vs. speciality or biologic medications, the impact of COVID-19 on the specialty pipeline, the rise of personalized medicine and gene therapy, and key considerations when managing specialty pharmacy.

Sarah Emond from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) wraps up the course discussing how employers don't need to choose between affordability and access (both is possible!), the need to innovate on drug pricing, including when it comes to gene therapy and short-term potentially curative treatments, the pressing need to develop a comfort level when talking about costs and value, ICER's value assessment framework based on comparative clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, and action steps for purchasers to move to value-based pricing for pharmaceuticals.

COURSE FORMAT:

Our content is designed to fit into your busy work day and engage different types of learners. You can take the course at your own pace--all in one sitting or one lecture at a time.

DURATION:

About 4.0 Hours total
Lectures range in length from 20 minutes to 1 hour.