Published in STAT
The pharmacy benefit manager reforms that President Trump signed into law on Tuesday could lead to employers buying drugs directly from drugmakers, just like the administration is encouraging individual consumers to do through its pending website TrumpRx.
The PBM reforms are part of a Health and Human Services spending bill that Congress passed, and Trump signed, on Tuesday. The law prohibits PBMs from linking their payments to drug prices in Medicare. In the commercial market, the bill would require PBMs to pass through 100% of rebates to employer-sponsored insurance plans. There are also transparency measures for the commercial and Medicare markets.
A.J. Barbarito weighs in an article for STAT. Read here: https://www.statnews.com/2026/02/04/pharmacy-benefit-manager-law-direct-sales-employers-drugmakers/
Subscription may be required.
Also Published in: Archynets
PBM Law: Direct Drug Sales for Employers?
The pharmacy benefit manager reforms that President Trump signed into law on Tuesday could lead to employers buying drugs directly from drugmakers, just like the administration is encouraging individual consumers to do through its pending website TrumpRx.
The new reporting requirements also appeal to pharmacies. A.J. Barbarito, an associate in Frier Levitt’s Life Sciences and Pharmacy Litigation practice group, said the law directs government regulators to enforce pharmacy network standards and contract terms, ensure PBM reimbursement practices are fair, and guard against the PBM practice of steering patients to pharmacies that they own. Regulators have until now taken a hands-off approach in these areas.
“Reporting will bring these practices more to light,” Barbarito said. “But ultimately what we’re looking for is change.”
Read more: https://www.archynetys.com/pbm-law-direct-drug-sales-for-employers/
Also Published in: NewsDirectory3
Trump Signs PBM Reforms: Could Employers Buy Drugs Directly?
Recent reforms to pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices, signed into law on February 4, 2026, are poised to reshape the landscape of prescription drug pricing, and access. The changes, enacted as part of a larger Health and Human Services spending bill, aim to increase transparency and potentially allow employers to purchase drugs directly from manufacturers, bypassing PBMs altogether.
However, employers and pharmacies have long advocated for PBM reforms, seeking greater transparency and fairer practices. A.J. Barbarito, an attorney at Frier Levitt, highlighted that the law directs regulators to enforce pharmacy network standards, ensure fair reimbursement practices, and prevent PBMs from steering patients to their own pharmacies – areas where regulators have historically taken a hands-off approach.
Read the full article: https://www.newsdirectory3.com/trump-signs-pbm-reforms-could-employers-buy-drugs-directly/
Senior Associate
