Trending News Today: PBMs Say Manufacturers Won't Commit to Lower Drug Prices

A new study has found that individuals who take blood pressure medications often use other drugs that reduce the pills’ efficacy, Reuters reported. According to the article, researchers studied data on 521,028 adults prescribed blood pressure pills for the first time and 131,764 adults taking at least 4 different pills to lower their blood pressure. Overall, roughly 18% were also taking drugs that make blood pressure pills less effective, including medicines such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen, or hormones, the article reported.

Staying physically fit may reduce the risk of developing glaucoma by 40% to 50%, Reuters reported. According to the article, a long-term study analyzed data on 9519 men and women between 1987 and 2005 who had their weekly physical activity recorded and their cardiovascular fitness measured with a treadmill test. Even those who exercised less than the recommended 150 minutes per week had a lower risk of glaucoma than those who were completely sedentary, the article reported.

Express Scripts, Humana, MedImpact, Optum RX, and Prime Therapeutics said that they have not received commitments from drug manufacturers to lower drug prices, The Hill reported. According to the article, the companies wrote letters to Sens Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and Tina Smith (D-Minn) in response to letters that the 2 senators sent questioning their roles in high drug prices. Express Scripts also wrote that it has not discouraged or pushed back against any manufacturer efforts to lower list prices, the article reported.