This week, the Federal Trade Commission released a report showing the impact drug middlemen are having on the cost of prescription medications in the United States.
The FTC report states pharmacy benefit managers "wield enormous power over patients’ ability to access and afford their prescription drugs, allowing PBMs to significantly influence what drugs are available and at what price.” Her diagnosis, along with other conditions, force Burno to take 24 prescription medications each month.
"I get to know my pharmacist really well because I get to see them every month," added Kevin Trager, a 35-year-old in Kentucky. “I started taking this new insulin because my insurance company told me I had to. Thirty-two units was too much, so I was overdosing on insulin when I first started taking the new brand," he said. “Living with Type 1 diabetes is pretty stressful in and of itself. It's a constant 24/7 balancing act."