* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Saturday, July 19, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Kroger shares summer entertainment tips – Supermarket Perimeter

    Ultimate Summer Entertainment Tips to Make Your Season Unforgettable

    Theater at Santa Fe’s San Isidro Plaza will be converted into IMAX, family entertainment venue – Santa Fe New Mexican

    Santa Fe’s San Isidro Plaza Theater Transforms into Exciting IMAX Family Entertainment Venue

    B&B Theatres will open massive entertainment complex in Texas – The Business Journals

    B&B Theatres will open massive entertainment complex in Texas – The Business Journals

    Rough times for broadcast networks illustrate changing media landscape – New Haven Register

    Broadcast Networks Confront Turbulent Times in a Rapidly Changing Media Landscape

    Black River Entertainment Adds Traci Hite As Director Of Promotion, Southeast – MusicRow.com

    Black River Entertainment Welcomes Traci Hite as New Director of Southeast Promotion

    Entertainment Business Master’s Grad Launched Nonprofit to Nurture Emerging Artists – Full Sail University

    Entertainment Business Master’s Grad Launched Nonprofit to Nurture Emerging Artists – Full Sail University

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Polypurine Hairpin Technology is Safe, Effective at Inhibiting PCSK9 to Regulate Cholesterol – Pharmacy Times

    Polypurine Hairpin Technology: A Safe and Powerful New Way to Control Cholesterol by Inhibiting PCSK9

    A major AI training data set contains millions of examples of personal data – MIT Technology Review

    A major AI training data set contains millions of examples of personal data – MIT Technology Review

    Simpson College to purchase medical simulation technology with grant funds – Iowa Capital Dispatch

    Simpson College to purchase medical simulation technology with grant funds – Iowa Capital Dispatch

    SailGP Technologies officially launches new center of excellence in technology & innovation – Sail-World.com

    SailGP Technologies officially launches new center of excellence in technology & innovation – Sail-World.com

    Victorville’s new gunfire-detecting technology already making strides, city says – NBC Los Angeles

    Victorville’s New Gunfire-Detecting Technology Is Already Making a Difference, City Officials Say

    Guest columnist: China cutting corners on technology – The State Journal

    China’s Rapid Tech Advances Spark Worries About Cutting Corners

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Kroger shares summer entertainment tips – Supermarket Perimeter

    Ultimate Summer Entertainment Tips to Make Your Season Unforgettable

    Theater at Santa Fe’s San Isidro Plaza will be converted into IMAX, family entertainment venue – Santa Fe New Mexican

    Santa Fe’s San Isidro Plaza Theater Transforms into Exciting IMAX Family Entertainment Venue

    B&B Theatres will open massive entertainment complex in Texas – The Business Journals

    B&B Theatres will open massive entertainment complex in Texas – The Business Journals

    Rough times for broadcast networks illustrate changing media landscape – New Haven Register

    Broadcast Networks Confront Turbulent Times in a Rapidly Changing Media Landscape

    Black River Entertainment Adds Traci Hite As Director Of Promotion, Southeast – MusicRow.com

    Black River Entertainment Welcomes Traci Hite as New Director of Southeast Promotion

    Entertainment Business Master’s Grad Launched Nonprofit to Nurture Emerging Artists – Full Sail University

    Entertainment Business Master’s Grad Launched Nonprofit to Nurture Emerging Artists – Full Sail University

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Polypurine Hairpin Technology is Safe, Effective at Inhibiting PCSK9 to Regulate Cholesterol – Pharmacy Times

    Polypurine Hairpin Technology: A Safe and Powerful New Way to Control Cholesterol by Inhibiting PCSK9

    A major AI training data set contains millions of examples of personal data – MIT Technology Review

    A major AI training data set contains millions of examples of personal data – MIT Technology Review

    Simpson College to purchase medical simulation technology with grant funds – Iowa Capital Dispatch

    Simpson College to purchase medical simulation technology with grant funds – Iowa Capital Dispatch

    SailGP Technologies officially launches new center of excellence in technology & innovation – Sail-World.com

    SailGP Technologies officially launches new center of excellence in technology & innovation – Sail-World.com

    Victorville’s new gunfire-detecting technology already making strides, city says – NBC Los Angeles

    Victorville’s New Gunfire-Detecting Technology Is Already Making a Difference, City Officials Say

    Guest columnist: China cutting corners on technology – The State Journal

    China’s Rapid Tech Advances Spark Worries About Cutting Corners

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Health

In a Golden Age of Cancer Care, PBMs Are Holding Us Back

August 6, 2023
in Health
In a Golden Age of Cancer Care, PBMs Are Holding Us Back
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Patt is an oncologist specializing in breast cancer.

*Patient name has been changed

We’re living in a remarkable time for cancer treatment, when a diagnosis no longer disrupts how patients live and work. Unlike years ago, an advanced cancer diagnosis is no longer a death sentence for many. Today, most patients diagnosed with cancer can treat it as a chronic disease, much like hypertension and diabetes. Patients undergoing cancer treatment can go to work, pick their children up from soccer practice, and eat dinner with their families.

This is largely due to oral cancer drugs, which allow many cancer patients to maintain a normal routine and quality of life. These treatments are rapidly on the rise: today, oral cancer drugs account for 25-35% of cancer therapies in development, a number that is projected to grow to 60% in the next few years.

As pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have become vertically integrated — with just three organizations dominating 80% of the prescription drug marketplace — cancer patients receiving oral treatment are increasingly forced to endure PBMs’ excessive approval processes and are directed to PBM-owned mail order or specialty pharmacies that refill drugs. These companies, many of whom are owned by or own the largest health insurers, want to control what treatment patients get and how, when, and where they receive it.

As a breast cancer specialist, I’ve witnessed how these middlemen insert themselves between patients and doctors through an opaque system of authorizations, barriers, and fees that delay patients’ access to life-saving treatment.

Last October, I saw my patient Tania*, a 40-year-old woman with metastatic breast cancer that had metastasized to her brain. I recommended that we utilize the oral cancer drug abemaciclib (Verzenio) due to its unique ability to help treat brain metastasis, which many cancer therapies do not treat. After going through her insurance company and PBM for authorization, the pills were denied. I quickly appealed, but the PBM informed us it would take 6 weeks just to be granted a peer review.

During this time, I watched as Tania’s cancer continued to metastasize, and she was soon forced to resort to traditional chemotherapy — a less effective, higher-toxicity treatment plan. Tania had to stop working and even developed two new brain metastases. While I don’t know for certain that Tania would have been better off with abemaciclib, peer-reviewed literature demonstrates that she would have doubled her chances of living without cancer progression and would have experienced less toxicity in comparison with traditional chemotherapy.

My experience with Tania underscores a harsh reality: rather than assist in cancer care coordination, PBMs often cause disjointed, delayed, confusing, and inferior care.

That was just one frustrating example. Let’s examine another.

Doctors frequently modify treatment doses to optimize therapy and control toxicity, sometimes just 1 to 2 weeks after starting treatment. These types of unplanned adjustments are easy to navigate in office-based, medically-integrated pharmacies that serve as a “one-stop shop” for oral cancer therapies, as oncologists can evaluate the patient, check their labs, and make dose modifications prior to the refill.

Yet, PBMs often use their ever-increasing market size and power to divert cancer drugs away from physician dispensing pharmacies. The result is that patients are steered away from the dispensing pharmacy at their community oncology clinic and forced to use PBM-mandated specialty or mail order pharmacies; this may result in delays in prescription delivery, mix-ups, and bureaucratic red tape throughout. By virtually eliminating competition from physician dispensing, PBMs are capturing the prescription drug market — with seemingly little regard for patient care.

PBMs may tell us that this bureaucratic arrangement is a cost-saving measure. Yet, we see no evidence that PBM involvement translates to patient or employer savings. In fact, premiums and out-of-pocket costs continue to rise. The average premium for family coverage in an employer-sponsored plan has increased 47% over the past decade, while patients’ out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs climbed from 23.8% in 2013 to 25.1% in 2019 (spending fell in 2020, but this was likely due to the pandemic). Further, these abusive practices are used to allow PBMs to control the practice of medicine by removing treatment decisions from providers’ hands.

Thankfully, bipartisan congressional efforts are shining the light of transparency on PBM behavior. In fact, PBM reform is so popular that Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD (R.-La.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I.-Vt.) — ideological opposites on many issues — are working across the aisle to pass the Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform Act (S. 1339), which would ban PBMs’ use of certain predatory tactics, including spread pricing and claw back fees. With widespread bipartisan support, now is the time to add more oversight and transparency to these middlemen.

Cancer and other diseases know no political divide. It’s long past time that we stop PBMs’ destructive behaviors to ensure patients can fully realize the benefits of modern cancer therapies.

Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, is an oncologist specializing in breast cancer in Austin, Texas. She serves in the leadership of Texas Oncology, a large independent community oncology practice that is part of the US Oncology Network, and as vice president of the Community Oncology Alliance.

Disclosures

The US Oncology Network is supported by McKesson Specialty Health, a division of the McKesson Corporation.

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : MedPageToday – https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/second-opinions/105764

Tags: CancerGoldenhealth
Previous Post

Ukrainians move to North Dakota for oil field jobs to help families facing war back home

Next Post

Extreme Temps and Particulate Matter in Fatal Heart Attacks; Impact of Thymectomy

Polypurine Hairpin Technology is Safe, Effective at Inhibiting PCSK9 to Regulate Cholesterol – Pharmacy Times

Polypurine Hairpin Technology: A Safe and Powerful New Way to Control Cholesterol by Inhibiting PCSK9

July 19, 2025
Kirstie Yu ’19 goes to bat at NBC Sports – NYU School of Law

Kirstie Yu ’19 Takes Center Stage at NBC Sports

July 19, 2025
New online rangeland ecology course available – texasfarmbureau.org

Unlock the Secrets of Rangeland Ecology with Our Exciting New Online Course – Enroll Now!

July 19, 2025
Competitive research experiences give chemistry major advanced look into materials science field – lockhaven.com

Competitive research experiences give chemistry major advanced look into materials science field – lockhaven.com

July 19, 2025
Do Dogs Judge Human Character? Science Says Maybe Not – Study Finds

Do Dogs Judge Human Character? Science Says Maybe Not – Study Finds

July 19, 2025
People who still look young into their 60s and beyond usually have these 6 evening habits – VegOut

6 Evening Habits That Help You Stay Youthful and Radiant Well Into Your 60s and Beyond

July 19, 2025
FIDE World U9-U17 Rapid and Blitz Championships 2025: Registration now open – International Chess Federation – FIDE

Don’t Miss Out: Register Now for the Thrilling FIDE World U9-U17 Rapid and Blitz Championships 2025!

July 19, 2025
US economic activity rises but outlook pessimistic, Fed says – Reuters

US economic activity rises but outlook pessimistic, Fed says – Reuters

July 19, 2025
Kroger shares summer entertainment tips – Supermarket Perimeter

Ultimate Summer Entertainment Tips to Make Your Season Unforgettable

July 19, 2025
Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ could strip over 100K in Conn. of health coverage – NBC Connecticut

Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Could Leave Over 100,000 in Connecticut Without Health Coverage

July 19, 2025

Categories

Archives

July 2025
MTWTFSS
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031 
« Jun    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (728)
  • Economy (751)
  • Entertainment (21,636)
  • General (15,981)
  • Health (9,789)
  • Lifestyle (759)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (753)
  • Politics (761)
  • Science (15,968)
  • Sports (21,249)
  • Technology (15,734)
  • World (735)

Recent News

Polypurine Hairpin Technology is Safe, Effective at Inhibiting PCSK9 to Regulate Cholesterol – Pharmacy Times

Polypurine Hairpin Technology: A Safe and Powerful New Way to Control Cholesterol by Inhibiting PCSK9

July 19, 2025
Kirstie Yu ’19 goes to bat at NBC Sports – NYU School of Law

Kirstie Yu ’19 Takes Center Stage at NBC Sports

July 19, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version