Discover why large employers are moving away from traditional PBMs and how SmithRx’s transparent model delivers sustainable savings and better service.

Explore which medications fall into the ‘specialty drug’ category, how legacy and modern PBMs treat these drugs, and what a more innovative, sustainable approach to specialty drugs can look like.

Get a rundown of Alan Pannier’s, SVP of Product Strategy at SmithRx, recent conversation with David Williams on the CareTalk Podcast, where he discussed precisely who is losing in legacy health’s game—and what can be done to save pharmacy benefits.

Learn how cost-containment programs within a transparent PBM model can lower pharmacy spend and support sustainable plan value.

It can be hard to determine what is real savings vs discount claims in the pharmacy industry. Learn about what to look for in PBM reporting here.

Explore PBM reform: its meaning, drivers, and how emerging transparent PBMs like SmithRx deliver better outcomes.

Legacy PBMs are still failing to evolve and offer effective, patient-first healthcare—leaving employers unsatisfied. Learn more here about legacy PBMs and the future of transparency.

Explore barriers to biosimilar adoption, such as PBM practices, regulatory limitations, and provider and patient level friction and learn what employers can do to promote uptake.

Discover how vertical integration and pricing manipulation by PBMs are limiting biosimilar access—and what employers can do to ensure savings and transparency.

Same drug, same pharmacy—very different outcomes. See how legacy PBMs inflate costs through spread and rebate retention, and how SmithRx lowers them through transparency and true alignment.

Learn how biosimilars provide lower-cost alternatives to expensive biologic drugs, improving access to life-saving treatments, reducing healthcare costs, and encouraging innovation.

Learn why fiduciary alignment matters in pharmacy benefits—and how choosing the right PBM can reduce costs, boost compliance, and protect your employees.

Asking the right questions can greatly affect your PBM pricing. Learn the best questions to ask your PBM about transparent pricing here.

Find out how drug rebates impact prescription costs, and learn strategies for employers to reduce employees’ out-of-pocket healthcare expenses.

Concerned about rising drug costs for your self-insured plan? Explore how PBMs negotiate lower prices and implement strategies to save your company money.

Discover how value-based care is reshaping healthcare by focusing on patient outcomes and lowering costs. PBMs are shifting towards this model to provide more efficient and patient-centered care.

Explore the modern PBM experience and key criteria for employers, including account support, member service, and cost-saving programs that deliver real value.

Learn the different ways how prescription drug lists affect medication costs. Explore drug tiers, cost-saving strategies, and what you can do if your medication is not on the list.

Learn the difference between tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3 prescription drugs, and find out why a cost-focused PBM like SmithRx enables more affordable access to medications.

Learn what a PBM admin fee is, how it compares to other PBM-related fees, and why understanding these costs can help employers and brokers choose the right Pharmacy Benefit Manager.

Learn how PMPM–Per Member Per Month–impacts self-insured employers and pharmacy benefits management strategies, and find out how PMPM influences healthcare cost management.

SmithRx brings transparency to PBM fees with a clear structure that separates admin costs from drug prices, helping you lower Total PMPM and maximize value.

Understanding how PBMs determine prescription drug prices can help you choose who to work with. Learn more about PBM drug pricing here.

Learn the differences between AWP vs. WAC here, and find out why they matter when it comes to your company’s pharmacy benefits.

Discover how legacy PBMs hide true costs through complex fee structures. Learn about SmithRx's transparent pricing model that offers a simpler, more cost-effective alternative to traditional PBM services.

Learn how legacy PBMs put employers at risk, from using outdated practices to keeping costs hidden—and discover how switching to a modern PBM can protect your business and employees.

Discover how spread pricing in PBMs can inflate drug costs for self-insured employers. Learn strategies to mitigate its impact and choose a transparent PBM partner like SmithRx.

Discover the key differences between closed and open formularies and their impact on healthcare costs. Learn how these formulary types affect your medication access and influence cost management strategies.

Working with a benefits broker can improve the quality of the benefits offered to employees. Learn the top questions to ask a Benefits Broker here.

Discover six crucial areas where modern PBMs are redefining the industry, offering insights into how these innovations are creating more transparent, efficient, and client-focused pharmacy benefit solutions.

Understanding what a pharmacy benefit manager is can help you make better decisions about your healthcare. Find the answer to “What is a PBM?” & more here.

US healthcare is broken, and large pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are to blame. Here are three key problem areas that need to change.

Learn how PDLs impact coverage and costs for self-insured employers and employees and their role within pharmacy benefit management.

Explore the paradox between cost-based and discount-based PBM evaluation methods. Learn why cost-based evaluation, which focuses on actual drug costs, leads to lower expenses and greater transparency, optimizing overall pharmacy spend.

Discover what a formulary is, how they are created, and how formularies can make managing your prescriptions more convenient and cost-effective.

Legacy PBMs are well-known for their vertical integration strategies, which have significantly transformed the healthcare market, often to its detriment.

MAC list arbitrage occurs when PBMs take advantage of price differences, which can make prescription medications more expensive for employers. In this piece, we'll break down how MAC list arbitrage affects budgets and healthcare costs.

In this article, we define the difference between transparent and pass-through contracts. While often used interchangeably, they represent two distinct aspects of PBM operations. 

Community pharmacies, central to local health and economy, face challenges from the rise of large healthcare conglomerates. This shift threatens to increase costs, limit choices, and lower healthcare quality.

In this post, we aim to equip you with some of the insights and tools needed to discern the realities of Pharmacy Benefit Manager practices, ensuring that your decisions are informed and your healthcare management is as cost-efficient and (truly) transparent as possible.

It’s clear to most Americans that our medical costs are higher than they should be, and that drug prices in particular are growing out of control.

As the world battled the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, with heightened measures to quarantine and social distance

Big PBMs have become the masters of generating massive profits using hidden fees. This is how Caremark, the PBM owned by CVS, generated more profit

At SmithRx we think about pharmacy benefits through the lens of self-insured employers. What these employers want is lower pharmacy costs

With new biosimilars for Humira available this year, many of you have had questions about biosimilars

Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) were established in the 1980’s as a solution to facilitate the electronic transaction