FTC Pharmacy Agent Probe Marks ‘Vital’ Step in Drug Price Fight

Patient advocacy groups praised the FTC for opening a probe into pharmacy benefit managers while urging the commission to include consumer feedback on how these entities impact drug prices.

The Federal Trade Commission voted 5-0 to issue orders to CVS Caremark, Express Scripts Inc., and four other of the largest pharmacy benefit managers—the entities that run prescription drug benefits—to submit data on their business practices. Several advocacy groups and a former FTC official say the inquiry is a critical step, but that the agency should go beyond that data to get a broader perspective on PBM operations and ...