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Optum Rx pharmacy benefit management

Lowering pharmacy benefit costs

Your employees deserve access to affordable medications. You deserve solutions that make it easy to lower drug spend. We can help deliver both.

How are we lowering drug costs?

The median annual list price set by drug manufacturers for a new medication has more than doubled since 2021.1 We prioritize member affordability and plan sustainability, ensuring both are achievable, using a clinical-first approach to deliver a better experience and better value:

Highly-managed client savings

Clients can expect to see $25 per-member per-month (PMPM) savings by adopting our comprehensive management programs2.

Integrated specialty management savings

Plan sponsors can lower their pharmacy spend by $19 PMPM with Optum specialty medication management2.

Real-time prescribing transparency

PreCheck MyScript brings real-time choice and transparency at the point of prescribing, in the doctor’s office, saving clients $266 on average3.

Market-competitive pricing

Price Edge offers market-competitive medication pricing, saving members over $169M in 20244.

We rely on the expertise from Optum Rx and their clinicians and their ability to use data to really help us.

Wespath Benefits and Investment

Kelly Wittich

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Driving down overall costs

With such significant market power across the drug supply chain, pharmaceutical manufacturers have sole discretion over how they price their products. That’s why it’s so important that we serve as the counterweight — and we are. Through negotiations, we are lowering the cost of prescription drugs and improving health outcomes:

  • For every $1 spent, pharmacy benefit managers reduce costs by $10.
  • Over the next 10 years, PBMs will help prevent 1 billion medication errors.
  • 9 in 10 employers are satisfied with their PBM.
  • We pass through 98% of the negotiated discounts and pharmacy rates to clients.

Explore our solutions to lower drug costs

Weight Engage

Get the most from these pricey new obesity drugs by choosing the right coverage strategy and helping your members build lifelong habits.

Controlling specialty drug costs

The cost and complexity of specialty drugs requires a solution that provides care without compromise. The outcome is a better experience and lower costs.

See how our affordability initiatives can lower the costs of your pharmacy benefit plan.

  1. 2024 UnitedHealth Group Investor Conference.
  2. 2024 analysis.
  3. 2023 program results.
  4. 2024 program results.