A man is hit by a car. Passersby gather round. He’s not bleeding; they decide he’s fine. He’s not unconscious, but he’s not getting up. They decide he likes attention—or he’s lazy. They don’t have time for this. The man is left on the ground, abandoned.
The specialty drugs for treating chronic conditions can be miraculously effective, but they come with a high price tag, and plan sponsors are pressured to both cover these drugs and find ways to achieve plan sustainability. At the first-ever Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum in Vancouver on May 31, participants were encouraged to cross-examine drug plan management strategies for ways to alleviate costs. The half-day event—Changing With the Times: The New Face of Drug Plan Management—attracted more than 130 registrants to the Marriott Pinnacle Downtown.