The nation's second-largest pharmacy benefit manager, Express Scripts, is leaning into Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs' business plan by selling drugs priced by their acquisition cost, pharmacy dispensing and service costs.
Express Scripts — the PBM of Evernorth, a subsidiary of Cigna Group — will launch the service in early 2024. Express Scripts ClearNetwork will offer the service to Cigna members, including employers, government organizations and health plans, according to a Nov. 14 news release.
ClearNetwork price checks the lowest acquisition cost of medications, which is added to a pharmacy dispensing fee and a markup of 15% or less. The markup fee will be shared with participating pharmacies, which is 65,000 strong in Express Scripts' network, according to the release.
Cost Plus Drugs has a similar pricing formula, which includes a drug's manufacturing cost, a 15% markup, a $5 pharmacy labor fee and a $5 shipping fee.