The Chaos Of Drug Pricing in the US | GoodRx CEO Wendy Barnes

The Chaos Of Drug Pricing in the US | GoodRx CEO Wendy Barnes

From The Heart of Healthcare | A Digital Health Podcast by Massively Better Healthcare

April 20, 2026 · 40 min · Episode 227

About this episode

Wendy Barnes discusses the complexities of drug pricing in the US and the impact of digital tools on patient affordability.

Nearly one billion prescriptions are abandoned at the pharmacy counter every year, often because patients are blindsided by the cost. This week, co-host Halle Tecco is joined by Wendy Barnes, President and CEO of GoodRx, to discuss the chaos of prescription drug pricing, the murky world of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), and how digital tools are changing patient affordability. They break down the layered system of manufacturers, payers, and pharmacies that creates inconsistent pricing, and explore the current push for greater transparency. We cover : The cascade of drug pricing: from initial manufacturer costs and rebates to payer and pharmacy contracts, which results in vast price variability for consumers What it would take to get to price transparency in drug pricing The current pressures on PBMs, including efforts to ban "spread" and the practice of offshoring rebate contracting for tax advantages Why pharmacies haven’t gone online like other areas of consumer goods The future of medication access, including the growth of pharma’s direct-to-patient programs and the low current adoption of home delivery despite widespread retail pharmacy closures —  About our guest…

People in this episode

Host: Halle Tecco

Guest: Wendy Barnes

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: GoodRx, RxBenefits, Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs)

More episodes of The Heart of Healthcare | A Digital Health Podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Heart of Healthcare | A Digital Health Podcast podcast page.