AAM report: Middlemen increasingly block patient access to new generics

The Association for Accessible Medicines released a new report showing that drug supply chain middlemen like health plans and pharmacy benefit managers increasingly block patient access, delaying coverage of new generics in favor of higher-priced brand drugs with high rebates.

“Patients and the healthcare system win when new, lower-cost generic drugs enter the market,” said David Gaugh, AAM’s interim CEO. “But too many PBM and health plan formularies are delaying patient access to new generic drugs.”

[Read more: AAM applauds Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023] 

“Commercial and Medicare drug plans play a key role in determining which medicines patients can obtain. Unfortunately, too many continue to prefer high-price, high-rebate brand drugs and use their consolidated market power to block patient access to lower-priced generics and biosimilars,” said Craig Burton, senior vice president of policy & strategic alliances at AAM and executive director of the Biosimilars Council. “Policymakers should ensure rapid patient access to new lower-price generics and biosimilar medicines.”