Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute (PBMI) helps industry professionals manage pharmacy benefit programs through research-based drug benefit education.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., (December 5, 2007) – The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute has expanded its 2008 Drug Benefit Conference to serve a more diverse audience of benefits professionals and increase their opportunity to network with drug benefit experts. New opportunities include a half-day workshop, educational track for benefits generalists, and town hall forums on critical issues. The conference will be held Feb. 26-29, 2008 at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort in Phoenix.

“Now in its 13 th year, the PBMI Drug Benefit Conference advances best practices that help drug benefit purchasers realize the greatest return from their investment,” says PBMI President Dana H. Felthouse, MBA. “We enhanced our programming this year to better meet the needs of benefits generalists who spend only a portion of their time on the drug benefit, as well as benefits specialists and pharmacy directors who focus exclusively on the drug benefit.”

Keynote speaker E. Kinney Zalesne, co-author of Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow's Big Changes, will discuss emerging preferences of U.S. consumers and their viewpoints on health and wellness. Drilling down into these microtrends will provide insights to guide decisions that impact employers and their beneficiaries.

A hands-on, pre-conference workshop on the essentials of managing the drug benefit will be taught by recognized industry leaders. A key advantage of the workshop will be access to workshop faculty after the training for ongoing coaching as benefits managers implement ideas learned in the workshop.

Conference sessions will address topics critical to managing the drug benefit in 2008 and beyond. In response to feedback from previous attendees, the conference features more interactive sessions, with town hall forums and case studies on managing drug trend, value-based benefit design, transparency, Medicare Part D, specialty drugs, generics, and drug pricing changes. In addition to eight general sessions and three town hall forums, the 2008 conference will offer 12 breakout sessions organized into three tracks: Human Resource Perspectives on the Drug Benefit, Managed Care Pharmacy Perspectives, and Industry Trends.

Agenda, Registration Available Online
A complete agenda, speaker information, and registration for the conference are available at www.pbmi.com/conference.asp. There are discounts for registrations received before the early bird deadline of Dec. 14, 2007.

The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute provides research, continuing education, publications and Web resources that help health care benefit executives work effectively with their pharmacy benefit managers to improve the design and management of drug benefit programs. Learn more at http://www.pbmi.com/.

PBMI Issues Last Call for Rx Benefit Innovation Award Entries

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz, (November 14, 2007) – The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute (PBMI) is accepting final submissions for its 6th annual Rx Benefit Innovation Awards, which showcase innovative solutions to managing cost and quality in drug benefit programs. The deadline for submitting nominees is December 15, 2007.

Nominees may be employers and other sponsors of drug benefit programs, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), or any other organization involved in the delivery of drug benefit programs.

“PBMI wants to recognize organizations that address drug benefit program challenges with new and different solutions,” says Dana H. Felthouse, MBA, president of PBMI. “Measurable outcomes are a hallmark of effective solutions. Past award winners have made significant improvements to drug benefit program design and administration.

Award winners will be honored at PBMI's 13th annual Drug Benefit Conference to be held February 26-29, 2008 at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort in Phoenix. The conference, which draws more than 400 human resource executives, health plan executives, pharmacy directors, benefits consultants and pharmacy benefit managers, is dedicated to curbing costs and maximizing quality of drug benefit programs.

Award entries need to include a letter to PBMI describing a drug benefit challenge, target audience, objectives, implementation plan, metrics, and results. The strongest entries clearly describe quantifiable results tied to program objectives. Supporting materials may include member education materials, news clippings or letters of support from colleagues, customers or members.

Past award recipients include AmeriHealth Mercy/Perform Rx, Cingular Wireless, Cypress Care, Catalyst Rx, U.S. Department of Defense TRICARE Management Activity, ePocrates, Express Scripts, HR Policy Association Pharmaceutical Purchasing Coalition, Medco Health Solutions, Memorial Health System, PharmaCare and Polk County Board of County Commissioners, Prescription Solutions, SXC Health Solutions, Inc., and the University of Michigan.

Additional information on the submission process is at www.pbmi.com/awards.asp. Information on PBMI's 2008 Drug Benefit Conference also is posted at www.pbmi.com/conference.asp.

The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute provides research, continuing education, publications and Web resources that help health care benefit executives work effectively with their pharmacy benefit managers to improve the design and management of drug benefit programs. Learn more at http://www.pbmi.com/.

Research Confirms Correlation Between PBM Transparency and Employer Satisfaction

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz, (November 29, 2007) – The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute (PBMI) today released its 2007 Pharmacy Benefit Manager Customer Satisfaction Report documenting a strong correlation between transparency and employer satisfaction for the second consecutive year.

PBMI's annual PBM Customer Satisfaction Survey asks U.S. employers to rate their PBMs on three overall satisfaction measures and 15 individual dimensions of service. More than 440 employers representing 15.4 million beneficiaries nationwide participated in the 2007 survey. In addition to trend information on employer satisfaction with PBMs, the 2007 report provides comparative information on the service performance of 18 individual PBMs. PBMI's report is widely recognized for providing valuable information to benefit executives responsible for researching, selecting and managing PBM services.

In 2006 and 2007, PBMI compared ratings on PBM performance with responses to questions about the degree of financial transparency in their PBM relationships and the levels of satisfaction with that transparency.

“PBMI's 2007 research findings reinforce that the way PBMs conduct business does impact employer satisfaction with their services,” says Dana H. Felthouse, MBA, president of PBMI. “This research supports the increasing levels of collaboration PBMI sees among payers, pharmacy benefit managers, and prescribers to provide medically appropriate and cost-effective drug therapy to Americans.”

The PBMI research shows that employers who are “extremely satisfied” with the financial transparency of their PBM relationship gave their PBMs an average overall service and performance rating of 8.8 on a 10-point scale, with 10 being the highest rating. Statistically, the rating is significantly higher than the average PBM performance ratings from employers who are less satisfied with financial transparency. By comparison, employers who are “somewhat satisfied” with financial transparency gave their PBMs an average performance rating of 7.9, while those who are “somewhat dissatisfied” or “extremely dissatisfied” with financial transparency rated their PBM's performance at 7.5 and 5.9 respectively.

The report is available for purchase at http://www.pbmi.com/or by calling 480-730-0814.

The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute provides research, continuing education, publications and Web resources that help health care benefit executives work effectively with their pharmacy benefit managers to improve the design and management of drug benefit programs. Learn more at http://www.pbmi.com/.

PBMI Research Confirms Employers’ Drug Cost Increases Remain in Single Digits

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – (October 26, 2007) – Employers’ prescription drug cost increases remain in the single digits, according to research findings from the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute’s (PBMI) 2007 Prescription Drug Benefit Cost and Plan Design Report.

“Employers are effectively keeping their rate of drug cost increases to an average of 6.9%, the lowest rate since PBMI began conducting this survey in 1995,” said Dana H. Felthouse, MBA, PBMI president. “This is a decline of 0.6% from the 2005-06 survey. Employers are effectively using many tools to control their drug costs including multi-tiered formularies, innovative cost sharing, generic dispensing incentives, negotiated pharmacy reimbursement, and a broad range of utilization management approaches.”

“PBMI’s research is a valuable reference on drug benefit plan design trends to employers, health plans, trade associations, benefits consultants, pharmacy benefit managers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and legislators,” said Suzanne McDonald, vice president, managed markets, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc. “Takeda is pleased to continue its long-standing relationship with PBMI, which founded the report in 1995.”

PBMI’s 2007Prescription Drug Benefit Cost and Plan Design Report has been expanded to capture newer metrics on per member per month cost and utilization in addition to trending information on drug benefit plan design. In addition, PBMI has reinstated tracking of utilization management tools.

PBMI gratefully acknowledges the support of Takeda for the provision of a grant to cover costs incurred in the production of this report. Takeda has sponsored publication of the Prescription Drug Benefit Cost and Plan Design Report since 2001. Because the new data set is so expansive, Takeda also has underwritten the development of supplemental resources at http://www.pbmi.com/ to make research findings easy to access and use in benefit planning. Copies of the 2007 report also are available at http://www.pbmi.com/.

The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute provides research, continuing education, and educational tools to help health care benefit executives work effectively with pharmacy benefit managers to improve the design and management of drug benefit programs. Learn more at http://www.pbmi.com/.

Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.
Based in Deerfield, Ill., Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan. In the United States, Takeda currently markets oral diabetes, insomnia, and gastroenterology treatments, and through Takeda Global Research & Development Center, Inc., the company has a robust pipeline with compounds in development for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other conditions. Takeda is committed to striving toward better health for individuals and progress in medicine by developing superior pharmaceutical products. To learn more about the company and its products, visit http://www.tpna.com/.

PBMI Accepting Entries for Rx Benefit Innovation Award

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz, (August 22, 2007) –The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute (PBMI) is accepting entries for its 6th annual Rx Benefit Innovation Awards to showcase innovative approaches to managing cost and quality in drug benefit programs. Nominees may be employers and other sponsors of drug benefit programs, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), or any other organization involved in the delivery of drug benefit programs.

“PBMI wants to recognize organizations and industry partnerships that address drug benefit program challenges with new and different solutions,” says Dana H. Felthouse, MBA, president of PBMI. “Measurable outcomes are a hallmark of effective solutions. Past award winners have made significant improvements to drug benefit program design and administration.”

Award recipients will be honored at PBMI's 13th annual Drug Benefit Conference to be held February 26-29, 2008 at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort in Phoenix. The conference, which draws more than 400 human resource executives, health plan executives, pharmacy directors, benefits consultants and pharmacy benefit managers, is dedicated to curbing costs and maximizing quality of drug benefit programs.

Award entries need to include a letter to PBMI describing a drug benefit challenge, target audience, objectives, implementation plan, metrics, and results. The strongest entries clearly describe quantifiable results tied to program objectives. Supporting materials including member education materials, news releases, news clippings or letters of support from colleagues, customers or members, may be included with entry. The deadline for submitting nominees is December 15, 2007.

Past award recipients include AmeriHealth Mercy/Perform Rx, Cingular Wireless, Cypress Care, Catalyst Rx, U.S. Department of Defense TRICARE Management Activity, ePocrates, Express Scripts, HR Policy Association Pharmaceutical Purchasing Coalition, Medco Health Solutions, Memorial Health System, PharmaCare and Polk County Board of County Commissioners, Prescription Solutions, SXC Health Solutions, Inc., and the University of Michigan.

Additional information on the submission process is available at www.pbmi.com/awards.asp. Information on PBMI's 2008 Drug Benefit Conference also is posted at www.pbmi.com/conference.asp.

The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute provides research, continuing education, publications and Web resources that help health care benefit executives work effectively with their pharmacy benefit managers to improve the design and management of drug benefit programs. Learn more at www.pbmi.com.

Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute Survey Rates Industry’s Pharmacy Benefit Managers

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., July 9, 2007 —Research fielding is underway on the industry's leading customer satisfaction survey for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) conducted annually by the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute, LP (PBMI). PBMI is encouraging employers nationwide to participate.

Now in its 13 th year, the one-page, fax-back survey asks employers to rate their PBMs on overall performance and 17 dimensions of service. Ratings address service functions in the areas of plan design support, administrative functions, network design and management, clinical services, and specialty pharmacy. For the first time, survey respondents will be asked to rate PBMs' Web sites for members to provide a complete picture of PBMs' customer service capabilities.

Results of the survey are published in PBMI's annual PBM Customer Satisfaction Report, widely recognized for providing valuable information to benefit executives responsible for researching, selecting and managing PBM services.

“PBMI's customer satisfaction study provides comparative information on the performance of individual PBMs,” says Dana H. Felthouse, president of PBMI. “Our report also features trend information about PBM performance at a detail level. From the PBM's perspective, the report provides insights about the services that have the greatest impact on improving customer satisfaction.”

Employers who have not received a survey and are interested in participating should contact Jenny Powers at PBMI at 480-730-0814 or info@pbmi.com with the contact information of the person responsible for managing the organization's PBM relationship. Survey participants will receive a free copy of the 2007 PBM Customer Satisfaction Report.

PBMI Issues Call for Speakers for 2008 Drug Benefit Conference

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – (June 14, 2007) – The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute's (PBMI) 2008 Drug Benefit Conference will feature a new educational track for benefits generalists and newcomers to the drug benefit arena. Speaker proposals are being accepted now for this audience, as well as presentations targeted to drug benefit specialists. The conference will be held February 26-29, 2008 at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort in Phoenix .

PBMI is the industry's only membership organization dedicated to helping health care purchasers improve the value of their drug benefit plans. “Our annual conference has a long-standing reputation for educating the industry on the design and management of the drug benefit,” says Dana H. Felthouse, MBA, president of PBMI. “Benefit managers and pharmacy experts alike attend PBMI's meeting to learn about best practices, share their successes, and network with one another.”

PBMI wants presentation proposals that educate employers, health plans, union groups and third-party administrators about cost-effective management of the drug benefit. Conference programming will include tracks on Human Resource Perspectives on the Drug Benefit , Managed Care Pharmacy Perspectives, and Industry Trends.

“Our market research tells us that we serve customers at both ends of a continuum – benefits generalists who spend 25 percent or less of their time on the drug benefit, as well as benefits specialists and pharmacy directors who are exclusively focused on the drug benefit,” says Felthouse.

Proposals should be submitted online at http://www.pbmi.com/SpeakerProposals08.aspby Friday, Aug. 3, 2007. PBMI is looking for proposals that:

Explain how PBMs work and the services they offer,
Provide guidelines for selecting and contracting with a PBM,
Explain the fundamentals of drug benefit design and management,
Provide strategies for selling benefit design changes to corporate leadership,
Illustrate ways to control drug spending,
Focus on case studies of successful solutions,
Articulate cutting-edge ideas,
Quantify results and outcomes, and
Engage conference participants in interactive learning formats.

Speakers will be notified in early fall.

The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute provides research, continuing education, publications and Web resources that help health care benefit executives work effectively with pharmacy benefit managers to improve the design and management of drug benefit programs. Learn more at http://www.pbmi.com/.

PBMI Conducting 12th Annual Drug Benefit DesignSurvey Online

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – (May 7, 2007) – Research fielding is underway on the nation’s leading survey dedicated to prescription drug benefit cost and plan design, conducted annually by the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute (PBMI). The survey is being conducted online for the first time this year. PBMI is encouraging employers and other sponsors of drug benefit programs to participate.

Now in its 12th year, PBMI’s Prescription Drug Benefit Cost and Plan Design Survey has been expanded to capture newer metrics on Per Member Per Month cost and utilization. In addition, the survey has reinstated tracking of utilization management tools, such as academic detailing, copayment relief, and step therapy.

“Widespread participation in this survey enables PBMI to provide the industry with its comprehensive overview of U.S. trends in prescription drugs,” says Dana H. Felthouse, MBA, president of PBMI. “The annual survey report is a valued reference for benefits and pharmacy professionals responsible for designing and managing drug benefit programs.”

PBMI gratefully acknowledges the support of Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America (TPNA), Inc. for the provision of a grant to cover costs incurred in the production of this report. TPNA has no access to the individual responses or raw data gathered, nor do any other third parties. This protects the confidentiality of the survey respondents and ensures the independence and objectivity of this report.

Employers who have not received a survey invitation are interested in participating should contact PBMI at 480-730-9814 or info@pbmi.com for the Web link and log-on credentials. Survey participants will receive a copy of the report. They also will be entered into a drawing for one of three free passes to the 2008 PBMI Drug Benefit Conference to be held Feb. 26-29, 2008 in Phoenix.

The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute provides research, continuing education, publications and Web resources that help health care benefit executives work effectively with pharmacy benefit managers to improve the design and management of drug benefit programs. Learn more at www.pbmi.com.

Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute Recognizes Innovation in Drug Benefit Industry

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz, February 22, 2007 — The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute (PBMI) has awarded its 2007 Rx Benefit Innovation Awards to the Department of Defense (DoD) TRICARE Management Activity, PharmaCare and the Polk County Board of County Commissioners, and SXC Health Solutions, Inc., for improving the delivery of benefits in a fiscally responsible way.

The DoD TRICARE Management Activity is being recognized for an online, real-time coordination of benefits program (COB) that significantly reduces the hassle factor for TRICARE beneficiaries who have drug benefit coverage from multiple sources, while also generating cost savings for the DoD Pharmacy Program. PharmaCare and the Polk County Board of County Commissioners in Bartow , Fla. , are being recognized jointly for an employer-based, pharmacist-coordinated disease management program that measurably improves the health status of diabetic and hypertensive employees and retirees. SXC Health Solutions, Inc., is being recognized for a technology solution that enables the sponsors of drug benefit plans to engage their beneficiaries in understanding drug costs and choosing low-cost alternatives when medically appropriate.

“The 2007 award recipients all have forward-thinking solutions that improve the value of the drug benefit by empowering consumers,” says Dana H. Felthouse, MBA, president of PBMI. “They also showcase the value of genuine collaboration among stakeholders in the drug benefit arena.”

The DoD's electronic, point-of-purchase COB program minimizes the need for millions of TRICARE beneficiaries to incur reimbursable out-of-pocket expense and then file paper claims for reimbursement. In the eight months following the COB launch, 350,000 TRICARE beneficiaries used the service. Nearly 95% were able to obtain their prescriptions with no out-of-pocket expense. The program is generating an estimated savings of $1 million annually in reduced TRICARE claims processing fees.

In the Pharmacare/Polk County collaboration, PharmaCare placed a full-time clinical pharmacist onsite in Polk County 's employee health clinic to help employees, dependents and retirees manage diabetes and hypertension. More than 700 diabetic and hypertensive patients are enrolled in the program, which has resulted in significant average per-patient reductions in HgbA1c and blood pressure values.

SXC's RxPORTAL™ is a consumer-friendly, online decision support tool that enables beneficiaries to run real-time trial adjudications to compare the cost impact of prescription drug alternatives, based on their own benefit design. Beneficiaries also can access quality and safety information regarding their prescription alternatives and identify the nearest pharmacy offering the best price. Analysis of trial adjudications submitted through RxPORTAL indicated that nearly 40 percent of consumers who used the tool to investigate more cost-effective drug alternatives made the decision to use a lower-cost product. These consumers realized an average per-claim savings of $41.80.

PBMI Educates Industry

The fifth annual Rx Benefit Innovation Awards were presented today at PBMI's 12th annual Prescription Drug Utilization Management Conference at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort in Phoenix . Past winners include AmeriHealth Mercy/Perform Rx, Cingular Wireless, Cypress Care, Catalyst Rx, ePocrates, Express Scripts, HR Policy Association Pharmaceutical Purchasing Coalition, Medco Health Solutions, Memorial Health System, Prescription Solutions, and University of Michigan.

More than 350 industry professionals involved in the design and administration of drug benefit programs attend the nation's premier meeting dedicated to drug benefit management. PBMI provides research, continuing education, publications and Web resources to help health care purchasers work effectively with pharmacy benefit managers and other industry professionals to improve pharmacy benefit programs and control costs. Read case studies on award winners at http://www.pbmi.com/.

PBMI Drug Benefit Conference Fosters Better Benefit Decision-Making

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (February 6, 2007) – The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute's (PBMI) 2007 Prescription Drug Utilization Management Conference will help human resource professionals and pharmacy directors sharpen their economic know-how to make smarter drug benefit decisions. Sessions on drug pricing, PBM contracting strategies, and rational cost sharing will be highlights of the conference to be held February 21-23 at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort in Phoenix .

“The common thread among our conference sessions is actionable ideas to improve drug benefit decision-making,” says Dana H. Felthouse, MBA, president of PBMI. “We have recruited industry experts who will share successful strategies to manage drug trend and expenditures.”

Conference sessions on drug benefit economics will highlight:

Methodologies used for calculating the cost and price of prescription drugs.
Role of manufacturers, wholesalers, pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers in costing and pricing processes.
How changes in manufacturers' price reporting may impact the pricing of third-party prescription drug claims.
Payer-PBM contracting strategies that include definitions, performance guarantees, and financial penalties needed to manage your investment.
Contract pricing methodologies most commonly used in this era of transparency.
Economic drivers in Rx benefits and how they operate.
Benefit designs that encourage members to use the lowest net cost drug medically appropriate for their needs.

Conference Agenda Available On Line

The PBMI conference features 10 general sessions and 12 breakout sessions. A complete agenda, and registration for the PBMI drug benefit conference is available at www.pbmi.com/conference.asp

PBMI conference faculty include speakers from Carden & Associates; CIGNA Pharmacy Management; Baylor College of Medicine; Consumer Healthcare Products Association; Consumers Union; Dean Health Plan; DeNucci Enterprises; Duane Reade; Evergreen Rx; Gorman Health Group; Health Affairs ; Health Strategies Associates; HealthTrans; Humana Inc.; Interface EAP; James Boyd & Associates, Ltd; JI Companies; Medco Health Solutions; Mercer Health & Benefits; Navitus Health Solutions; Partners Rx Management; Prevsaúde; RegenceRx; Specialty Pharmacy Solutions, LLC; St. Joseph's Hospital; University of Michigan Medical Center; URAC; and U.S. Department of Justice.

PBMI Drug Benefit Conference Qualifies for CE Credit

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (January 25, 2007) – The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute's (PBMI) 2007 Prescription Drug Utilization Management Conference, to be held Feb. 21-23 in Phoenix , has been approved for continuing education credit for both human resource professionals and pharmacy professionals. The PBMI conference is dedicated to curbing costs and maximizing quality in drug benefit programs. It addresses the needs of human resource managers, pharmacy directors and benefits consultants who plan and manage drug benefit programs for employees, retirees, union groups, trusts or health plan members.

“National experts in drug benefit management, managed care pharmacy, contracting and auditing will share their insights and experience at our annual conference,” says Dana H. Felthouse, MBA, president of PBMI. “This three-day meeting is a blend of formal and informal training for human resource professionals, pharmacists, physicians, and attorneys involved in the design and administration of the pharmacy benefit.

HR Professionals

PBMI's conference has been approved for 13.25 recertification credit hours toward the Human Resource Certification Institute's accreditation programs including Professional in Human Resources (PHR® ), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR® ), and Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR™).

Recertification credit also is available for the Certified Compensation Professional (CCP® ), Certified Benefits Professional (CBP™ ) and Global Remuneration Professional (GRP® ) designations granted by WorldatWork Society of Certified Professionals.

Pharmacists

The University of Arizona College of Pharmacy is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmaceutical education. PBMI conference participants who attend all sessions and turn in a completed evaluation for each session attended will be awarded 11.4 contact hours of continuing pharmacy education credit.

Attorneys

Health care attorneys interested in obtaining MCLE credit should contact their state bar associations to request credit for attending the PBMI conference.

Conference Agenda Available On Line

A complete agenda, and registration for the PBMI drug benefit conference is available at www.pbmi.com/conference.asp

PBMI conference faculty include speakers from Carden & Associates; CIGNA Pharmacy Management; Consumer Healthcare Products Association; Consumers Union; Dean Health Plan; DeNucci Enterprises; Duane Reade; Evergreen Rx; Gorman Health Group; Health Affairs ; Health Strategies Associates; HealthTrans; Humana Inc.; Interface EAP; James Boyd & Associates, Ltd; JI Companies; Medco Health Solutions; Mercer Health & Benefits; Navitus Health Solutions; Partners Rx Management; Prevsaúde; RegenceRx; Specialty Pharmacy Solutions, LLC; St. Joseph's Hospital; University of Michigan Medical Center; URAC; and U.S. Department of Justice.

Conference Offers Cost Saving Strategies for Drug Benefit Programs

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (January 12, 2007) – The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute's (PBMI) 2007 Prescription Drug Utilization Management Conference will feature proven strategies human resource and benefit professionals can adapt for their own organizations to curb the cost of drug benefit programs. The conference will be held Feb. 21-23, 2007 at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort in Phoenix .

“Our conference program addresses the challenges that employers, health plans and other sponsors of drug benefit programs face on a daily basis and offers practical solutions that work,” says Dana H. Felthouse, MBA, president of PBMI. “Many of our speakers will present case studies with the economic and clinical results of successful pharmacy benefit management strategies.”

Attendees of PBMI's 12 th annual conference will be able to hear about strategies for controlling the high costs of chronic disease therapies, specialty pharmacy drugs, oncology therapies, and drug therapies related to workers' compensation. Other sessions will be dedicated to cost containment in the small group environment and to the value of integrating pharmacy management into behavioral health.

The industry experts on PBMI's conference faculty also will provide insight on complex issues like drug pricing, evidence-based formulary design, contracting in an era of transparency, and manufacturer rebate auditing.

Agenda Available On Line

A complete agenda, and registration for the conference is available at www.pbmi.com/conference.asp

PBMI conference faculty include speakers from Carden & Associates; CIGNA Pharmacy Management; Consumer Healthcare Products Association; Consumers Union; Dean Health Plan; DeNucci Enterprises; Duane Reade; Evergreen Rx; Gorman Health Group; Health Affairs ; Health Strategies Associates; HealthTrans; Humana Inc.; Interface EAP; James Boyd & Associates, Ltd; JI Companies; Medco Health Solutions; Mercer Health & Benefits; Navitus Health Solutions; Partners Rx Management; Prevsaúde; RegenceRx; St. Joseph's Hospital; University of Michigan Medical Center; URAC; and U.S. Department of Justice.

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