A Pharmacist Talks About the EpiPen Questions to Ask  

As discussed in an earlier post, the EpiPen controversy has put issues surrounding drug pricing very much in the public view. But while ensuring the affordability of life-saving pharmaceutical products deserves attention, it’s a complicated issue with many stakeholders. There is little government guidance for employers and their vendors on benefit design, such as which drugs to include on high-deductible health plan preventive drug lists so that they bypass the deductible. While adding the EpiPen might seem like an obvious step, there are many drugs that fall into the gray area between prevention and treatment, and for any individual employer to try to draw that line could put them at risk. More guidance from the government would help in the short-term, but ultimately the affordability problem will only be solved by addressing underlying drug prices.

Over the past few years, there have been some short-lived alternatives to the EpiPen, but the only one currently available is an authorized generic for Adrenaclick, which may not be significantly cheaper than EpiPen and is in limited supply. While we’re already seeing activity among other drug manufacturers looking to get a competing product on the market, it will take some time. Mylan’s generic version of the EpiPen, however, will likely be available within a few weeks. 

Here are some questions to discuss with your PBM or health plan now, to ensure your members have the access they need to this product and you’re controlling spending to the extent possible.

- What is the status of EpiPen and the authorized generic of Adrenaclick on the formulary? This is important because formulary status can determine drug coverage, the amount of patient contribution, and what manufacturer rebates might be obtained.

- How are any earned drug rebates being accounted? Rebates from the drug manufacturer may be one critical aspect of how to recoup some of the plan sponsor’s expenditures, so the primary payers should ensure those rebates are completely flowing back to them.

- Is EpiPen on an inflation protection program? Such protection strategies are a growing trend in managing drug expenditures and they look to ensure that the pharmaceutical manufacturer have some type of price protection or cap on how much they can increase their pricing. Unfortunately, this type of pricing protection may only be associated with increasing the rebates to keep pace with the ingredient price increases; however, it may offer some relief to plan sponsors.

- Is a generic interchange available for EpiPen? For now, the answer is mostly no, but this will be an option to consider once Mylan’s generic version is actually available.

- Will the generic price points be better for employees than the negotiated brand price? Though generics traditionally are the lowest-cost option, if the generic does not offer a significantly lower price, the plan sponsor should explore whether the branded version, net of the rebate, is actually a lower-cost option.

- Are there programs to manage the quantities being dispensed? Such strategies are often applied to ensure patients are not stockpiling large quantities of a medications.

- Are there ways to better account for the drug manufacturer couponing efforts? As the drug manufacturers have been providing more coupons to cover the cost of their products, plan sponsors continue to struggle with how to account for copays patients actually do not pay because, for example, they are applied to the deductible. Although these coupon programs traditionally only benefit the patient, plan sponsors have begun to consider how they might benefit from this type of manufacturer funding, as they still pick up most of the cost for most drug therapies.

Finally, as you monitor availability and price, you may want to review employee communications as well. You may want to consider providing educational materials that provide resources for employees that need help with the cost of EpiPen. And, if plan members can save money by asking a physician to prescribe a generic as availability grows, that’s a message worth reinforcing.