Value-Based Payment Models Can Improve Appropriate And Equitable Use Of Prescription Drugs

Value-based payment (VBP) models focused on care delivery, such as accountable care organizations (ACOs) and specialty care models, provide an avenue for aligning quality measures, gain/risk sharing, and data feedbacks that impact prescribers with broader drug policy reforms to increase the benefit to patients. VBP models have different opportunities depending on whether the drugs are administered by clinicians or dispensed by pharmacies. Here, we provide an overview of challenges and opportunities for integrating clinician-administered and pharmacy-dispensed drugs into VBP models, highlighting short-term steps that commercial and public payers can take to align health care for both types of drugs.