Pharmacy benefit managers, the companies that manage prescription drug benefits for insurers and employers, had undisclosed financial relationships with opioid manufacturers that may have worsened the opioid crisis, according to a study published in JAMA Health Forum on Oct. 9. The University of California, San Francisco researchers recommend regulatory limits on those relationships, including eliminating rebates.
The study arrives as cities and states press lawsuits accusing the largest PBMs of helping opioids flow freely. It adds peer-reviewed research to a debate that has largely played out in court filings and news investigations.
