Prime Therapeutics' Wickersham delivers keynote at Managed Markets Summit

ST. PAUL, Minn., Sept. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The United States doesn't have a singular prescription drug problem, we have a series of challenges related to safety, efficacy and cost, according to Peter Wickersham, senior vice president for Integrated Care and Specialty at Prime Therapeutics LLC (Prime). Wickersham will deliver a keynote address, "Solving America's Drug Problem," at the Managed Markets Summit in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Sept. 19, 2014. "Opinions may vary on the causes, severity and solutions of America's drug problems," he said. "We need to overcome those differences to address these issues in a comprehensive, collaborative way."

The issue is important because prescription drug use is on the rise in the United States. The percentage of Americans who took at least one prescription drug in the previous month increased from 44 percent in 1999-2000 to 48 percent in 2007-2008, according to the latest report published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's National Center for Health Statistics.¹ Similarly, prescription costs are increasing. Prime predicts that combined traditional and specialty drug expenses will account for more than 25 percent of health plans' total annual health care costs within the next three years.

Offering guidance to manage this fast-growing health care expense, Wickersham's talk will

• discuss prescription drug use and assess its overall impact on public health,
• address the greatest challenges and problems related to prescription drugs, and
• outline several steps to increase patient safety and access while maintaining sustainable cost growth into the future.

"The pharmaceutical industry has played a major role in increasing life expectancy and lowering rates of cancer, heart disease and HIV/AIDS in the United States," said Wickersham. "But as more specialty medicines to treat remaining complex illnesses are introduced, the safety, efficacy and growing costs of these drugs will be put to the test. Integration and collaboration throughout the health care system is a must if the U.S. wants to continue achieving positive health outcomes at a price we can afford."

Wickersham has nearly 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and pharmacy benefit management industry, four with Prime's leadership team.  In his current role as senior vice president for Integrated Care and Specialty, Wickersham has accountability for managing $15 billion in annual prescription drug spend across all segments of Prime's commercial and government business, and manages Prime's clinical, trade relations, outcomes research, specialty, and enterprise reporting and analytics teams.

About Prime Therapeutics
Prime Therapeutics LLC (Prime) helps people get the medicine they need to feel better and live well. Prime manages pharmacy benefits for health plans, employers, and government programs including Medicare and Medicaid. The company processes claims and delivers medicine to members, offering clinical services for people with complex medical conditions. Headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., Prime serves more than 25 million people. It is collectively owned by 13 Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans, subsidiaries or affiliates of those plans. Prime has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the nation. For more information, visit www.primetherapeutics.com  or follow @Prime_PBM on Twitter.

¹"Prescription Drug Use Continues to Increase: U.S. Prescription Drug Data for 2007-2008." U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics Data Brief, Number 42, September 2010. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db42.htm>, accessed Sept. 15, 2014.

SOURCE Prime Therapeutics

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