"Pharmacy benefit plan costs typically represent about 18% of employer-sponsored health benefit plan costs, compared with roughly 3% in the 1980s. Innovation in pharmacology and other important medical and technological advances are key drivers of the increase.... Employers must be informed when selecting a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) and capitalize on today's 'buyer's market' for PBM services, in which virtually all financial and nonfinancial terms are negotiable. Pharmacy plan designs should enable employee cost sharing to keep pace with rising drug costs. The majority of employers have changed their plan designs over the past decade to help achieve this goal."

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