Pharmacy Insights Podcast Optum Rx

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.

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.

Biosimilar options have long been sought as a counterweight to expensive, branded biologic medicines. Now a wave of biosimilar options to the drug Humira® are entering the market. Hear Savitha Vivian, Optum Rx Senior Vice President, Formulary Management and Strategy, and Jamey Millar, Optum Rx Senior Vice President, Industry Relations, discuss how providers of pharmacy benefits can take advantage of biosimilars to reduce prescription drug spending.

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.

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.

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?