Pharmacists can play a very important role in making that happen.
Employees are getting sicker and are buying more prescription drugs, which means that employers have to spend more and more on drug benefits. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, many tried to address the rising costs by shifting them on to employees and pharmacists. They increased deductibles, added or increased co-insurance and capped annual maximums for certain services. They introduced managed drug formularies, preferred provider networks, pharmacy fee caps, drug utilization reviews and flexible benefits. But employers are realizing that managed care, while effective in reducing the rate at which costs have been escalating, has its limitations.