Jan Berger, MD, MJ, Discusses the Importance of Medication Adherence

Jan Berger, MD, MJ, president & CEO, Health Intelligence Partners, and editor-in-chief of The American Journal of Pharmacy Benefits, says that historically medication adherence, when it pertained to PBMs, was really just about selling pills—it was an isolated, siloed issue. However, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) began to recognize that clients were looking at adherence in a bigger, broader sense as they realized how adherence affected their lives, out-of-pocket costs, and workability.

Dr Berger also says that one of the newer areas PBMs are focusing on are medication adherence outcomes.

“Are people take their medications, and if they’re not, what are those barriers that need to be overcome in order to take it?" asks Dr Berger. "So like the rest of healthcare, we are going from a process-oriented world, to an outcomes-oriented world.”