Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: the role of the pharmacy benefit manager in providing access to effective, high-value care.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, fibrosing interstitial pneumonia of unknown cause that primarily affects individuals aged 60 and older. The economic costs of the disease are significant, with patients twice as likely to be hospitalized and twice as likely to require outpatient medical care as compared with those without IPF, resulting in an additional annual cost to the Medicare system of $1 billion. The first pharmacologic treatments for IPF, nintedanib and pirfenidone, were approved in 2014 for conditional use. Their use is expected to significantly increase the cost of care for this population, given that patients will likely continue to take the medication until their death. The use of these medications requires that payers implement innovative opportunities to manage their utilization and cost, as well as other medical costs related to the disease. Pharmacy benefit managers have an important role to play in managing the cost and appropriate utilization of these new treatments through disease management programs, negotiated discounts and rebates, improved adherence to treatment recommendations, and benefit design to optimize patient care.