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. 2016 Nov 1;10(6):1406-1410.
doi: 10.1177/1932296816658056. Print 2016 Nov.

If PBMs Guard Access to Drugs, Then Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodies? (Who Will Guard the Guardians?)

Alan W Carter  1   2 , Lutz Heinemann  3
Affiliations

If PBMs Guard Access to Drugs, Then Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodies? (Who Will Guard the Guardians?)

Alan W Carter et al. J Diabetes Sci Technol. .

Abstract

Insulin prices in the United States have risen dramatically in recent years, yet pharmacies cannot provide a stable price for a given insulin due to factors that are not widely understood. This commentary discusses the complex and obscure factors that drive today's insulin prices with a discussion of the other players, besides the insulin manufacturer, who benefit from higher prices. An open discussion is critical regarding this drug and others that are essential to the lives of millions of people with diabetes. We'll also explore whether the market introduction of biosimilar insulin will impact insulin prices.

Keywords: biosimilar insulin; insulin; quality; therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: AWC declares no conflict of interest. LH is a member of a number of national and an international Advisory Boards for companies that develop novel insulins and routes of insulin administration.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Diagram showing the complex interplay between the players in the United States and their potential formulary impact on drug prices, drug selection, and therapy options.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Tylee T, Hirsch IB. Costs associated with using different insulin preparations. JAMA. 2015;314:665-666. - PubMed
    1. Heinemann L. Biosimilar insulin and costs: What can we expect? J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2016;10:457-462. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Carter AW, Heinemann L, Klonoff D. Quality control of insulins and biosimilar insulins: What do we know? [published online ahead of print March 17, 2016]. J Diabetes Sci Technol. doi:10.1177/1932296816640542. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lipska K. Break up the insulin racket. New York Times. February 20, 2016. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/21/opinion/sunday/break-up-the-insulin-ra.... Accessed March 2, 2016.
    1. Mathews A. Anthem sues Express Scripts over drug pricing. Wall Street Journal. March 21, 2016. Available at: http://www.wsj.com/articles/anthem-sues-express-scripts-over-pricing-145.... Accessed May 25, 2016.

MeSH terms