FTC plots a look into the competitive impact of PBMs on drug prices, pharmacies

The Federal Trade Commission under chair Lina Khan has yet to take a big swing at drug prices and the middlemen driving them up, but that may soon change with a vote coming next week.

Next Thursday, the FTC will vote on whether to issue orders to the largest of these middlemen, known as pharmacy benefit managers, “to study the competitive impact of contractual provisions, reimbursement adjustments, and other practices affecting drug prices, including those practices that may disadvantage independent or specialty pharmacies,” according to a new agenda.