Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are shaping how Americans obtain and pay for prescription drugs by promoting market competition that lowers prices, fosters innovation, and enhances patient choice.
In CEI’s report, A Free Market Is the Best Medicine: Why government should not interfere with the rapid changes in the pharmacy industry, Senior Fellow Jeremy Nighohossian explains how consumers are benefitting from innovations in the pharmacy supply market that are expanding access to medications, including online, mail-order, and combined pharmacy and telehealth models. He warns policymakers that intrusive regulations on PBMs would limit invention and restrict patient options. Market forces and consumer preferences should drive the industry’s direction.
Please join CEI for a virtual briefing on PBMs, featuring remarks from Rep. Eric Burlison (MO-07) and study author Dr. Jeremy Nighohossian, moderated by CEI Senior Economist Ryan Young.
When: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET
Monday, January 26, 2026
Questions: [email protected] or 202.331.2764
Rep. Eric Burlison represents Missouri’s 7th Congressional District and has served in the U.S. House since January 2023. He previously served in the Missouri Senate (2019 to 2023) and the Missouri House of Representatives (2009 to 2016). Burlison earned a B.A. in philosophy and an MBA from Missouri State University, and before entering Congress he worked in the private sector, including in software and business roles.
Jeremy Nighohossian is a senior fellow and economist at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, focusing on health care policy. Before joining CEI, he worked at the Center for Healthcare Economics and Policy at FTI Consulting, where he specialized in antitrust and disputes in healthcare, working on several projects with Compass Lexecon. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Texas A&M University and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois
Ryan Young is a senior economist and director of publications at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. He specializes in trade, regulation, monetary policy, and antitrust policy, and edited Adam Smith’s Guide to Life, Loveliness, and the Modern Economy. His writing has appeared in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and Politico, and he has appeared on NPR, the BBC, and C-SPAN’s Washington Journal. He has an M.A. in economics from George Mason University and is a member of the Mont Pelerin Society.