Pharmacy Insights Podcast

Optum Rx
Pharmacy Insights Podcast

Introducing the Pharmacy Insights Podcast from Optum Rx. This ongoing series features our most experienced leaders examining the topics currently challenging pharmacy benefit plan sponsors. Join Optum Rx Senior Vice President of Clinical Consulting Scott Draeger as he interviews leading experts to uncover the emerging solutions needed to control rising prescription drug costs and ensure the best possible quality of care.

Episodes

  1. NOV 14

    The State of Pharmacy Regulations

    Pharmacy Benefit Managers have long been subject to a broad array of regulatory requirements. Yet, a flurry of new legislation and rulemaking has emerged in recent years – some of which threatens to undermine longstanding practices PBMs use to save members and plan sponsors money and ensure quality of care. To help bring clarity to this burst of activity and sort through the implication for patients and plan sponsors alike, Optum Rx Senior Vice President of Clinical Consulting Scott Draeger welcomed Marissa Schlaifer, Vice President of Policy for Optum and Sara Strothman, Vice President of Policy for Optum Rx for a wide-ranging discussion on the Pharmacy Insights Podcast.

    20 min

  2. SEP 13

    Biosimilars boom: The next era of adoption

    On this episode of the Pharmacy Insights podcast, host Scott Draeger welcomes Optum Rx SVP of Industry Relations, Jamey Millar and Optum Rx SVP of formulary management, Savitha Vivian to discuss the implications of new biosimilar alternatives to expensive biologic drugs.

    18 min

  3. APR 30

    Connections that count: Redefining the PBM experience

    While the operational side of the pharmacy care services business rarely garners headlines, the efforts of operations teams are vital to making prescription medications accessible and affordable. Optum Rx Senior Vice President of Clinical Consulting, Scott Draeger recently welcomed Jason Greenberg, Optum Rx Chief of Operations, and Katie Schumacher, Vice President of digital products at Optum Rx to discuss how ongoing innovations in operations are helping to help improve the pharmacy benefit management experience for plan sponsors, providers, and members.

    23 min

  4. FEB 13

    The New Drugs Plan Sponsors Need to Watch For

    Host Scott Draeger welcomes Optum Rx Vice President of Trend Insights & Analytics Michelle Kamprath and Optum Rx Senior Director of Drug Pipeline & Surveillance Bill Dreitlein for a lively discussion of the year ahead in pharmacy. Find out which trends are expected to make noise in 2024 including the ongoing obesity drug dilemma facing plan sponsors, the impact of the profusion of biosimilars on drug costs, and some noteworthy drug candidates currently advancing through the pipeline.

    33 min

  5. 11/07/2023

    Preparing For the Gene Therapy Era

    Gene therapies represent a true revolution in the way certain genetic diseases are treated. They are also the most expensive drugs in history. In this episode, Optum Rx Senior Vice President of Clinical Consulting Scott Draeger welcomes Nick Cashman, Specialty Clinical Consultant for Optum Rx, and Arash Sadeghi, Clinical Pharmacist, Pipeline & Drug Surveillance at Optum Rx. They dive in on the science of gene therapies and discuss what measures plan sponsors can take to prepare as these formerly rare medicines begin to be used for more diseases.

    23 min

  6. 10/04/2023

    Making the Invisible Visible: Why Health Equity Matters

    Affording everyone a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health is an ongoing challenge. To better understand the issue, Optum Rx Senior Vice President of Clinical Consulting Scott Draeger welcomed Dr. Sumit Dutta, Chief Medical Officer for OptumRx, and Corey Coleman, Vice President of OptumRx Health Equity and Strategic Partnerships for a recent episode of the Pharmacy Insights Podcast. Together they discussed the challenges of achieving Health Equity and the steps the Optum Rx is taking to make an impact.

    27 min

  7. 05/31/2023

    How Choice and Transparency are Changing the PBM Industry

    As increasingly expensive medications continue to enter the market and questions about prescription drug affordability become everyday topics of conversation, the pharmacy benefit management space is undergoing profound changes. To get a sense of the forces driving these changes, Optum Rx Senior Vice President of Clinical Consulting, Scott Draeger welcomed Optum Rx president and Chief Operating Officer Jon Mahrt for a recent episode of the Pharmacy Insights Podcast. Together they discuss how issues of access, affordability, and transparency have become the new imperatives for pharmacy benefit management and the innovations addressing these challenges.

    18 min

  8. 03/29/2023

    The Seismic Shift in Weight Loss Medicines

    One of the most pronounced changes in the pharmacy landscape over the past year has been the rapid emergence of a new class of medications for weight loss known as GLP-1 agonists. Dr. Ana Bhatnagar, Optum Rx Associate Chief Medical Officer, and Dr. Travis Baughn, Optum Rx Vice President of Clinical Solutions join us to discuss what broader use of these promising but expensive medications for weight loss means for both patients and plan sponsors.

    24 min

  9. 11/21/2022

    The risky business of alternative funding

    Guest: Optum Rx Chief Pharmacy Officer, Michael Einodshofer.As costly specialty medications continue to enter the market, “alternative funding” is pitched as a way for self-funded employers to make their employees and dependents eligible for “free” medications. Is this a sustainable solution? And what financial, clinical, and even legal risks does this approach entail?

    14 min

  10. 10/26/2022

    What you can and can’t expect from biosimilars.

    Guest: Sr. Vice President, Optum Rx Clinical and Formulary Services, Savitha Vivian. Long established in Europe, biosimilar alternatives to popular and costly biologic drugs are finally poised to make an impact in the U.S. With biosimilar alternatives to Humira now launching, what does that mean for prescription drug spending?

    13 min

  11. 09/14/2022

    What’s happening in Specialty Pharmacy?

    Guest: Optum Rx Chief Pharmacy Officer, Michael Einodshofer.Specialty medications continue to be the single largest driver of prescription drug spending. What separates specialty from traditional pharmacy and what specifics steps can be taken to mitigate rising specialty spend? What do new advances such as gene therapies mean for future specialty costs?

    16 min
  • 11 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Introducing the Pharmacy Insights Podcast from Optum Rx. This ongoing series features our most experienced leaders examining the topics currently challenging pharmacy benefit plan sponsors. Join Optum Rx Senior Vice President of Clinical Consulting Scott Draeger as he interviews leading experts to uncover the emerging solutions needed to control rising prescription drug costs and ensure the best possible quality of care.

Information

  • Creator
    Optum Rx
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2024
  • Episodes
    11
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023 Pharmacy Insights Podcast
  • Show Website
    Pharmacy Insights Podcast

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