Pfizer launches a one-stop-shop site as drugmakers join the direct-to-patient trend

Pickin’ up migraine meds... from the front porch. Pfizer launched its first direct-to-consumer portal yesterday. The platform (dubbed: PfizerForAll) lets US users schedule doc appointments, book vax shots, and order meds directly to their doors. Pfizer says it wants to “close gaps” in healthcare and help people get treated for common conditions like the flu.

• Booster bust: Pfizer’s profit hit a record $100B in 2022, driven by its Covid vax and pill, but sales have plunged as demand has dwindled.

Flipping the script... Employers and insurers typically use pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) like CVS’s Caremark and Cigna’s Express Scripts to negotiate prices with drugmakers to save $$. But last month the FTC dropped a scathing report saying PBMs may be inflating drug prices. Meanwhile, more pharma companies are dealing directly with consumers. In January, Eli Lilly launched its LillyDirect portal, becoming the first major pharma co to sell meds straight to customers. Drugmakers may be trying to compete with direct-to-consumer disruptors:

• Marked down: Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs started making and selling its own generic prescriptions to lower drug costs.

• Fast track: Amazon launched a $5/month prescription subscription called RxPass, and said its online pharmacy and healthcare units have seen “tremendous growth.”