Drug Channels delivers timely analysis and provocative opinions from Adam J. Fein, Ph.D., the country's foremost expert on pharmaceutical economics and the drug distribution system. Drug Channels reaches an engaged, loyal and growing audience of more than 100,000 subscribers and followers. Learn more...
Today’s guest post comes from Jim Sheninger, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain at SmithRx.
Jim reviews the evolution of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) within the drug channel and discusses the challenges that the industry's current dynamics create for plan sponsors, patients, and pharmacies. He then outlines SmithRx’s approach to addressing these issues.
Today’s guest post comes from Angie Franks, CEO at Kalderos.
Angie examines how data fragmentation contributes to inefficiencies in drug discount programs and the broader gross-to-net bubble—the widening difference between a drug’s revenue at list prices and what manufacturers actually receive. Angie outlines how better access to consistent, claims-level data could help reduce waste, improve program integrity, and enhance collaboration among stakeholders in the drug channel.
Today’s guest post comes from Chris Dowd, Senior VP of Market Development at ConnectiveRx.
Chris revisits his November 2024 forecasts to assess how they’ve held up through mid-2025, giving them an overall grade of A-. He examines which trends played out as expected, where the landscape shifted more dramatically, and how these developments are reshaping patient access strategies.
Today’s guest post comes from Stacey Little, Chief Growth Officer at AssistRx.
In this guest post, Stacey explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is helping life sciences organizations move beyond fragmented support models to deliver more integrated and personalized patient engagement. She outlines three distinct approaches to structuring patient support programs and discusses how AI-driven tools—such as AllazoHealth—can help tailor interventions across the entire treatment journey.
Today’s guest post comes from Gregory Morris, Chief Strategy Officer at CareMetx.
Gregory examines how Annual Reverification (AR) processes must evolve in response to changing payer dynamics and increasing benefit complexity. Rather than focusing solely on throughput and operational efficiency, he argues for the importance of more nuanced strategies that help ensure patients maintain access to therapy—even when coverage details shift behind the scenes.
The Medicaid Drug Rebate Program Summit returns to Chicago this September! Join 700 annual attendees and nearly 100 expert speakers to master complex regulatory guidelines to deliver compliant government pricing and reporting programs.
The 2025 event features:
Workshops covering Government Pricing and Reporting 101, Tactical Calculations and Strategy, Commercialization for Emerging Pharma, SPTR, and 340B Boot Camp.
Tracked Programming, where you'll build your own agenda with options such as 340B Evolution, State Level Trends, The IRA Rollercoaster, and The New Administration.
Town Hall Style Learning where you'll review best practices and policy ideas.
State Dispute Resolution Meetings where you'll participate in targeted discussions between manufacturers and states to resolve rebates, reporting, and compliance questions.
Opportunity to attend a Closed-Door Executive Strategy Summit, where senior executives will participate in interactive discussions bridging policy with business strategy.
Fireside Chats where an expert panel of attorneys discuss the most pressing issues facing MDRP and Government Pricing.
OIG Address reviewing recent investigations, audit findings, and enforcement actions related to government pricing programs, and a focus on upcoming enforcement priorities.
Opportunities to network and build valuable connections with more than 700 annual attendees.
PLUS–Don’t miss a Keynote from CMS.
Previous attendees praise the event as "An excellent forum to meet industry professionals and gain insight into best practices, current and future, of what's to come regarding manufacturers and government regulations."
The MDRP Summit remains essential for anyone navigating the complex intersection of pharmaceutical economics, compliance, and government programs. With expert speakers, targeted sessions, and valuable networking opportunities, this event delivers actionable insights you can implement immediately.
View the agenda for MDRP 2025 to see the complete picture–the program, speakers, and more, and visit www.informaconnect.com/MDRPSummit for further details and to register.
Drug Channels readers will save 10% off when they use code 25DRCH10 and register prior to August 22, 2025.*
*Cannot be combined with other offers or used towards a current registration. Cannot be combined with special category rates or other offers. Other restrictions may apply.
The content of Sponsored Posts does not necessarily reflect the views of HMP Omnimedia, LLC, Drug Channels Institute, its parent company, or any of its employees. To find out how you can publish an event post on Drug Channels, please contact Paula Fein(paula@DrugChannels.net).
Today’s guest post comes from Lindsay Reel, VP of Pharmacy Practice & Specialty Solutions at EVERSANA.
In this article, Lindsay shares a pharmacist’s firsthand perspective on the growing complexity of patient access and the limitations of traditional pharmacy models. She argues that emerging Direct-to-Patient (DTP) strategies can reshape the care experience by addressing longstanding inefficiencies, enhancing transparency, and simplifying therapy initiation for both patients and providers.
Today’s guest post comes from Sean Wagner, VP of Client Partnerships and Carolyn Zele, Advisor, Solution Consulting at MMIT.
Sean and Carolyn argue that planning for a successful drug launch must begin early—often well before Phase III. In this article, they present a six-step framework to help manufacturers align clinical development with payer expectations, patient needs, and real-world access dynamics.
Today’s guest post comes from Logan Melchione, VP of Patient Affordability at Paysign.
Logan explores how maximizers have reshaped the patient affordability landscape and pressured pharmaceutical manufacturers to adapt their copay strategies. In this guest post, she outlines her perspective on the limitations of traditional copay solutions, describes Paysign’s data-driven approach to first-fill identification of maximizer impact, and shares how the company reports saving millions while improving patient access.
To request an analysis of your program’s maximizer exposure risk and learn more about Paysign solutions, email affordability@paysign.com or visit paysign.com/rx.
To watch the webinar or enter into a direct agreement with GoodRx, pharmacies are not waiving their rights to participate in ongoing litigation against GoodRx. Pharmacies are not required to agree to GoodRx's Terms of Use in order to watch the webinar.
Today’s guest post is from Divya Iyer, SVP of Go-to-Market Strategy at GoodRx.
Divya shares new GoodRx data showing that out-of-pocket costs at the pharmacy counter remain a primary barrier to medication adherence. Despite the availability of manufacturer-sponsored support programs, many patients still abandon their prescriptions due to high costs.
Today’s guest post comes from Mike Cohn, Vice President, Network Operations at CoverMyMeds.
Mike shares key takeaways on patient access and affordability from CoverMyMeds’ 2025 Medication Access Report. He focuses on the systemic fragmentation that exists across payers, providers, and pharmacies. Mike explains how these silos delay treatment and lead to increased out-of-pocket costs.
To learn how a more connected, patient-centered solution can bridge silos and align clinical and financial realities, register for CoverMyMeds’ free June 12th webinar: Dimensionalization of the Patient Journey.
Join Claritas Rx experts as they lead you through methods intended to optimize patient care coordination, featuring an in-depth real-world case study that demonstrates the impact of these approaches. You will also acquire insights into streamlining patient journey processes with AI.
During this webinar, you will learn:
Key strategies to boost fill rates by 20% and improve patient adherence in specialty pharma operations
How to leverage advanced AI solutions to transform and streamline your patient journey processes
Insights on elevating care standards and maximizing outcomes for success in specialty pharma
Register today to take the lead in achieving success in specialty pharma.
When: May 15, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT)
The content of Sponsored Posts does not necessarily reflect the views of HMP Omnimedia, LLC, Drug Channels Institute, its parent company, or any of its employees. To find out how you can publish an event post on Drug Channels, please contact Paula Fein(paula@DrugChannels.net).
Today’s guest post comes from Kristine McGaughey, Vice President, Implementation at ConnectiveRx and Sam Blake, SVP, Hub Product at ConnectiveRx.
Sam and Kristine discuss the importance of the first 24 hours of a patient’s engagement with a hub services program. They outline five reasons why two components—patient enrollment and successful benefits verification—dictate the effectiveness of a patient support program.
Today’s guest post comes from Scott Hughes, Vice President of Strategy of CareMetx.
In this latest analysis from CareMetx, Scott explores how the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is reshaping Medicare patients’ access to critical medications across three high-impact therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, and endocrinology. Drawing on fresh 2025 plan data, he highlights the emerging barriers faced by patients, the shifting demands on providers, and the strategic implications for drug manufacturers.
Today’s guest post comes from William Grambley, Chief Product Officer at AssistRx.
William discusses four specific use cases for how AI can create efficiencies and improve patient support programs for both healthcare providers and patients. He provides three considerations that life sciences organizations should evaluate when adopting AI in their patient support programs.
Today’s guest post comes from Jim Hundemer, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), and Sudhakar Velamoor, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), of Kalderos.
Jim and Sudhakar discuss some of the complex challenges manufacturers face as they deal with outdated data systems, information silos, misapplied discounts, and growing cyber security threats. They argue that these challenges will lead to lost revenue, third-party security breaches, and diminished patient care.
Today’s guest post comes from Josh Marsh, Vice President and General Manager, Sonexus™ Access and Patient Support at Cardinal Health.
Josh discusses how patient support programs are evolving, including the shift toward outsourcing individualized hub functions. He lists five characteristics pharmaceutical companies should look for when evaluating outsourced support for long-term program success.
Pricing & Contracting USA arrives at an important moment for our industry. As you work to navigate the evolving healthcare landscape, this annual event brings together 60+ expert speakers from 70+ companies to lead the critical discussions that will drive comprehensive market strategy, uniting Medicaid, Policy, Pricing, Contracting & Reporting thought leaders.
With 52 sessions across 6 workshops and 5 tracks, this event features:
Wholesaler/Manufacturer Team-to-Team Meet-and-Greets: Direct industry collaboration
Executive Programming: Fireside Chat with External Counsel, Closed Door Executive Strategy Summit and Luncheon
Interactive Sessions: Speed Networking, AI Lunch and Learn
Strategic Working Groups: Medicaid Working Group Report, 80 Minute Industry Strategy Working Group
The Hottest Topics: Covering Government pricing, contracting and reporting fundamentals, MDRP, the Medicaid Final Rule, State Drug Price Transparency, PDAB, Medicaid, VA and IRA penalties, PBM evolution and regulation, 340B challenges, GTN, PhRMA, GPO Management, specialty distribution and cold chain, AI and automation and more.
Featuring confirmed speakers from: Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Gilead Sciences, McKesson, Regeneron, UCB, PhRMA, CSL Behring, OIG, United Therapeutics, Alkermes, Averitas Pharma and many more.
Join us where Medicaid, Commercial & Government Teams will collaborate to drive a successful market strategy!
View the agenda for Pricing & Contracting USA to see the complete picture – the program, speakers, and more, and visit www.informaconnect.com/pricing-contracting-usa for further details and to register. Drug Channels readers will save 10% off when they use code 25DRCH10 and register prior to April 30, 2025.*
*Cannot be combined with other offers or used towards a current registration. Cannot be combined with special category rates or other offers. Other restrictions may apply.
The content of Sponsored Posts does not necessarily reflect the views of HMP Omnimedia, LLC, Drug Channels Institute, its parent company, or any of its employees. To find out how you can publish an event post on Drug Channels, please contact Paula Fein(paula@DrugChannels.net).
Today’s guest post comes from Greg Skalicky, President of EVERSANA.
Greg discusses some of the challenges manufacturers face with product commercialization, patient access and adherence, and negotiating partnerships with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). He introduces us to EVERSANA DIRECT Commercialization™, a direct-to-patient change/model.
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