HHS Conference on Pharmaceutical Pricing Practices, Utilization and Costs
August 8-9, 2000
Agenda
Tuesday, August 8
8:00 am Registration/Refreshments
9:00 am Welcome, Conference Objectives and Structure
-- Margaret Hamburg, M.D., Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
-- Lawrence Bartlett, Ph.D., Conference Moderator
9:20 am Overview: Whats the Problem? A Synthesis of Research on Pharmaceutical Cost Pressures and Trends
This session will provide an overview of the components of the pharmaceutical market and the underlying cost drivers, and a brief synthesis of the research examining trends in pharmaceutical expenditures. This will be followed by a roundtable discussion of the issues by a panel of key stakeholders and policy experts.
12:00 Noon Lunch
1:15 pm Pricing Practices in the Pharmaceutical Market
This session will explore:
- Factors influencing pricing decisions
- Pricing at different levels of the distribution chain
- Pricing practices across markets and purchasers
- The potential impact of price transparency on pricing practices
5:00 pm Recess
Wednesday, August 9
8:45 am Recap of Day 1/Overview of Day 2
9:00 am Pharmaceutical Utilization Issues
This session will explore:
- Factors contributing to increased utilization of pharmaceuticals
- Assessing value what do we mean by appropriate drug use?
- Trends in utilization, including trends by drug class
12:00 Noon Lunch
1:00 pm Strategies for Controlling Costs and Increasing Value from Pharmaceutical Expenditures
In this session, health care purchasers, PBMs, health plans, pharmacy representatives, policy experts, and other key stakeholders will share their experiences and insights concerning the strategies and tools that have been employed to control costs and increase the value realized from pharmaceutical expenditures.
3:45 pm Concluding Comments
4:00 pm Adjournment