> As long-time industry researchers, we understand that drug affordability is a complicated problem with many cooks in the kitchen that can impact the end cost of a medicine.
As someone who can look up double digit profit margins for Eli Lilly/J&J/Pfizer/Novartis/Novo Nordisk/Abbvie/Merck/etc, it doesn’t look like a complicated problem.
you should really look up the profit margins of the largest PBM's, but they are now wholely owned by large insurance companies, or pharmacies. They are the middle men, and get a cut (and often rebates for selling over a certain amount)
Original title "This drug pricing distortion was supposed to go extinct. It’s never been more alive." reworded for context.
Mods: please feel free to update to your liking.
> As long-time industry researchers, we understand that drug affordability is a complicated problem with many cooks in the kitchen that can impact the end cost of a medicine.
As someone who can look up double digit profit margins for Eli Lilly/J&J/Pfizer/Novartis/Novo Nordisk/Abbvie/Merck/etc, it doesn’t look like a complicated problem.
you should really look up the profit margins of the largest PBM's, but they are now wholely owned by large insurance companies, or pharmacies. They are the middle men, and get a cut (and often rebates for selling over a certain amount)
https://www.drugchannels.net/2025/03/the-top-pharmacy-benefi...
It's even worse than that. I have CVS for PBM and getting my prescriptions filled anywhere except a CVS will at least double the cost.