Webinar: How Biosimilar Rebates Shape Payer Policies, Provider Behavior

A panel of leading experts on oncology practice and payment discussed how biosimilar rebates shape payer policies and provider options during a webinar from MJH Life Sciences™, the parent company of The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®).

The discussion was held on Monday, July 20, 2020, and moderated by Jeff Prescott, PharmD, senior vice president of Clinical Communications for MJH Life Sciences™. The panelists were Kathy Oubre, MS, chief operating officer of the Pontchartrain Cancer Center in Louisiana; Timothy Chiu, PharmD, BCPS, pharmacist evidence analyst and strategist for Kaiser Permanente; and Ali McBride, PharmD, MS, BCOP, FASHP, FAzPA, clinical coordinator of Hematology/Oncology for The University of Arizona Cancer Center in Tucson.

Although more biosimilars are launching in the US market, numerous factors affect whether they actually become available in the clinic. The expectation has been that as more biosimilars are approved and launch, costs will decline and providers will have more freedom to choose the appropriate medications for their patients. However, providers who want to use biosimilars find their choices are often determined by regional payer-by-payer contracts that require careful pharmacy planning, staff training, and sometimes, compromise.

To learn more about biosimilars, visit AJMC®'s sister site, The Center for Biosimilars™.