Walgreens VP to present during Pinsonault Associates Managed Markets Summit

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens VP clinical affairs David Lorber will present during the Pinsonault Associates Managed Markets Summit on April 12 in Miami, Fla., the retailer announced Thursday.

The session, titled "Employer Issues in Specialty Pharmacy," will examine concerns for payers, including cost management and containment, benefit and coverage decisions, formulary and medical policy, pipeline management, provider network, member satisfaction and disruption, and compliance.

Specialty pharmacy is the most rapidly growing segment of total drug spending, Walgreens noted. Approximately 3% to 5% of the population is impacted, and that number is increasing. Lorber plans to discuss the goals of improving the health and well-being of patients by providing convenient access to drugs, consistent, coordinated support and maximum therapy outcomes, while also increasing adherence and eliminating direct costs resulting from medication waste. Walgreens specialty pharmacy offers patient assistance coordination, multiple distribution channels, strong manufacturer relationships, advanced clinical programs and access to limited distribution drugs.

Lorber joined Walgreens as the VP clinical affairs in November 2010 and is responsible for clinical oversight and consistency of Walgreens clinical programs. Previously, he was VP medical affairs for CVS Caremark. Prior to joining CVS Caremark, Lorber was medical director at Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico in Albuquerque and a private practitioner in pulmonary, critical care and internal medicine. He has held numerous positions in community leadership and professional organizations, including president of the New Mexico Chapter of the American Thoracic Society and faculty appointments as assistant clinical professor of medicine with the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, and as assistant professor with the University of Arizona Medical Center in Tucson and the Tucson VA Hospital.