ICER to work with VA on drug coverage and price negotiation with pharma

The US Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has agreed to work closely with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Pharmacy Benefits Management Services office (PBM) to support its use of ICER drug assessment reports in drug coverage and price negotiations with the pharmaceutical industry.

As part of this arrangement, ICER - an independent non-profit research institute - will work with staff in the VA PBM to facilitate their integration of ICER reports into the VA formulary management process of evaluating the comparative clinical effectiveness and value of drugs.

The ICER will also work with VA staff to develop options for using “value-based price benchmarks” suggested in ICER reports to support negotiations with pharmaceutical companies, with the goal of maintaining excellent access to important treatments while ensuring prudent use of VA resources.

“Our mission has always been to support a more effective, affordable, and just health care system by providing objective analysis of the effectiveness and value of different care options,” said Dr Steven Pearson, the ICER’s president. “We are therefore very proud to begin a concerted effort to work with, and learn from, the pharmacy team at the VA,” he noted.