CVS took secret payments from opioid manufacturers, including Purdue Pharma, in exchange for not restricting the flow of pills. The payments were made by benefit managers (P.B.M.s) who collected billions of dollars while tens of thousands of Americans overdosed and died from prescription painkillers.
The New York Times investigation reveals a troubling cycle of secret deals between P.B.M.s and opioid makers. The three dominant companies – Express Scripts, CVS Caremark, and Optum Rx – oversee prescriptions for over 200 million people and are part of health care conglomerates that sit near the top of the Fortune 500 list.
Regulators have accused the largest P.B.M.s of anticompetitive practices, and the middlemen’s dealings with opioid makers reveal a lesser-known consequence of this pay-to-play system: Safeguards meant to protect patients and curtail abuse can be up for negotiation.
The investigation found that Purdue Pharma’s strategy was to create a “hub-and-spoke” model, where the company would provide opioids to pharmacies, which would then distribute them to hospitals and clinics. CVS Caremark paid secret fees to ensure this flow of pills continued uninterrupted.
The Times’ findings shed light on the role of P.B.M.s in the opioid crisis, which has claimed thousands of lives across the United States. As the search for solutions to this public health emergency continues, it’s essential to understand the complex web of deals and relationships between pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies, and insurers.
Source: https://www.golocalprov.com/news/cvs-took-secret-payments-for-free-flow-of-opioids-says-ny-times-investigati