New FTC Report Exposes Pharmacy Benefit Managers' Secretive Practices in U.S. Healthcare

The Federal Trade Commission has released a critical interim report highlighting the substantial influence and opaque practices of pharmacy benefit managers in the U.S. healthcare system. These intermediaries, including CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and Optum Rx, manage prescription drug benefits and wield significant power through negotiations and control of drug access. The report suggests that PBMs inflate drug costs and disadvantage independent pharmacies, steering profits towards their affiliated entities.