Managed care pharmacist updates for proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors

Uncontrolled hyperlipidemia has been associated with serious cardiovascular events. Statin use may not be optimal either due to low adherence or statin intolerance. Although the definition of statin intolerance remains highly debatable, it can generally be viewed as any adverse reaction that limits its use including but not limited to myopathies and myalgias. After initial approval, utilization of PCSK9 inhibitors remained low, possibly due to cost or overly restrictive coverage criteria. With the reduction in list price by 60% to $5850 annually, and updated clinical outcome data, both alirocumab and evolocumab were more in line with the willingness-to-pay threshold. Managed care pharmacists can ensure coverage criteria are appropriately developed to give access to individuals who would benefit the most, while decreasing barriers to access. Additionally, pharmacists are well positioned to collaborate with other healthcare providers to increase adherence to traditional LDL-C-lowering agents and streamline prior authorization processing to increase approval rates.