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In health care, PBMs are crucial — but not regulated
A pharmaceutical worker examines drugs at a dispensary. (Photo: i viewfinder, via Shutterstock)The PBMs originated in the 1960s to help health plans, self-insured employers and government entities, among others, to negotiate prescription drug prices and efficiently distribute medications. Since then, they have evolved into a money-making industry without regulations, experts say. By one estimate, three major PBM companies had a staggering $270 billion in revenues in 2014.