PBM reforms become law
PBM reforms are now law, enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 signed Feb. 3. The legislation increases transparency in Medicare Part D by requiring pharmacy benefit managers to report pricing, rebates and spread pricing practices to plan sponsors and disclose clearer contract terms, including reimbursement and dispensing fees. Supporters say the changes will improve pharmacy access and transparency in drug spending. (Pharmacy Times)
UPDATED for 2026! Now available: GTMRx evidence report
The Get the Medications Right Institute has released its latest summary of published research on comprehensive medication management. It features peer-reviewed evidence from practice sites showing measurable benefits on quality, access, outcomes and cost. The research found reduced hospitalizations and emergency visits, improved chronic disease measures, and notable cost savings when clinical pharmacists deliver structured CMM services. Some studies also show enhanced medication optimization using pharmacogenomics and expanded access in Federally Qualified Health Centers. The evidence supports CMM’s role in advancing high-quality, patient-centered medication use and integration within health systems. (UPDATED GTMRx evidence report)
Practice Transformation
CMM could help close CKM pharmacoequity gaps
Inequities in cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic care persist despite effective therapies. Comprehensive medication management may help close these gaps, according to a BMC Primary Care paper. Integrating CMM into CKM care models can help ensure patients receive appropriate evidence-based therapies while addressing safety, adherence and medication burden. The authors argue that CMM, supported by interdisciplinary teams and decision-support tools, is essential to advancing pharmacoequity and reducing disparities in access to guideline-directed medications. (BMC Primary Care)
Efficacy downplayed by RFK Jr. vaccine advisers
Efficacy is no longer the central focus of the federal vaccine advisory committee after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaced its members with advisers aligned with his vaccine policy views. The panel’s revised mission emphasizes reevaluating vaccine guidance and elevating critics of established practices, Politico reports. Public health experts warn the shift could erode confidence in routine immunizations and complicate disease control. With states relying on CDC guidance and schools following state policy, it can also cause confusion, according to KFF Health News. (Politico; KFF Health News)
Evidence & Innovation
ChatGPT Health lets users link records, apps to platform
OpenAI launched ChatGPT Health, allowing users to link medical records and wellness app data for more personalized insights. It is not intended for diagnosis or treatment and will not replace medical care, the company says. OpenAI added that these conversations will not train its foundation models. However, Axios notes that health data shared with ChatGPT could be disclosed through subpoenas or court orders. Sara Geoghegan of the Electronic Privacy Information Center warns that sharing electronic medical records this way “would remove the HIPAA protection from those records, which is dangerous.” (CNBC; Axios ; Electric Privacy Information Center)
Policy Solutions
Database shows how opioid settlements were spent
Big cuts to Medicaid mean some states will have to scramble to keep offering treatment for addiction, but some addiction care advocates worry that opioid settlement money could end up plugging holes in state budgets instead of fighting the nation’s opioid crisis. A new tool from KFF Health News, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Shatterproof tracks opioid settlement funds; it’s searchable by state. (KFF Health News)
