If we actually want to lower what people pay at the pharmacy counter, we need transparency, accountability, and real guardrails on the gatekeepers who control access to medicines. I negotiated inside this system for years. The math doesn’t lie — and until we fix how the money flows, patients will keep paying the price.
If you’ve ever wondered why a trip to the pharmacy can feel like highway robbery, the answer often comes down to three little letters: PBM. These are the middlemen—pharmacy benefit managers—who are supposed to negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of patients and employers. But according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Congressman James Comer (R-KY), the “help” PBMs provide is actually costing us more, while they reap the benefits.