Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 May 27:10:100283.
doi: 10.1016/j.rcsop.2023.100283. eCollection 2023 Jun.

The impact of pharmacy benefit managers on community pharmacy: A scoping review

Affiliations

The impact of pharmacy benefit managers on community pharmacy: A scoping review

Meagen Rosenthal et al. Explor Res Clin Soc Pharm. .

Abstract

Introduction: The introduction of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) within the United States healthcare system occurred with the aim to decrease costs and increase quality. News media and legislation have painted a picture of decreased pharmacy competition and potential negative impacts on patients and their access to affordable medications.

Objective: The objective of this scoping review was to evaluate the current research literature examining the impact of PBMs on the finances of community pharmacies.

Methods: Scientific journal articles published between 2010 and 2022 were included if they met the predefined objective.

Results: This scoping review identified four articles that met inclusion criteria. None of the identified articles independently quantified the financial impact of PBMs on community pharmacies.

Conclusions: Additional research should be completed to specifically understand the financial impact on community pharmacies to help ensure the viability of community pharmacy as an integral access point for patients.

Keywords: Community pharmacy services; Insurance; Medication access; Pharmaceutical services; Pharmacy benefit managers.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

We declare no conflicts of interest or financial interests that the authors or members of their immediate families have in any product or service discussed in the manuscript, including grants (pending or received), employment, gifts, stock holdings or options, honoraria, consultancies, expert testimony, patents, and royalties.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
From: Page MJ, McKenzie JE, Bossuyt PM, Boutron I, Hoffmann TC, Mulrow CD, et al. The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ 2021;372:n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71 For more information, visit: http://www.prisma-statement.org/.

References

    1. Knapp K.K., Paavola F.G., Maine L.L., Sorofman B., Politzer R.M. Availability of primary care providers and pharmacists in the United States. J Am Pharm Assoc. 1999;39:127–135. doi: 10.1016/S0003-0465(15)32720-8. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lin S.J. Access to community pharmacies by the elderly in Illinois: a geographic information systems analysis. J Med Syst. 2004;28:301–309. doi: 10.1023/B:JOMS.0000032846.20676.94. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bodenheimer T., Pham H. Primary care: current problems and proposed solutions | health affairs. Health Aff (Millwood) 2010;29:799–805. - PubMed
    1. Douthit N., Kiv S., Dwolatzky T., Biswas S. Exposing some important barriers to health care access in the rural USA. Public Health. 2015;129:611–620. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2015.04.001. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Healthcare Access in Rural Communities Overview Rural Health Information Hub. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/topics/healthcare-access Accessed May 19, 2023.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources