PBM executive: Industry has been discussing end of rebates for a ‘long, long time’

Though the Trump administration’s steps to end drug rebates have been met with outrage from pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), these companies have been talking about a future without rebates for a long time, experts say.

Byron Mickle, senior vice president for sales and marketing at Navitus Health Solutions, a Wisconsin-based PBM, said during a panel at the World Health Care Congress that eliminating the rebate model is a good foundation for policy to address other issues in drug pricing, such as the cost of specialty drugs.