USC Mann backs pharmacy benefits certification as PBM scrutiny grows

The American College of Benefit Specialists says USC’s pharmacy school will support continuing education accreditation for its Certified Pharmacy Benefits Specialist program. The move comes as employers and advisers face rising pressure to oversee pharmacy benefit managers, rebates, specialty drug costs and contract performance.

Why it matters: - Employers are facing greater pressure to show prudent oversight of pharmacy benefit arrangements. - PBM compensation, rebate treatment, specialty drug management and contract performance are all under sharper scrutiny. - The certification aims to give pharmacists, consultants, HR leaders, CFOs, brokers and plan sponsors formal training on how PBM arrangements work.

What happened: - The American College of Benefit Specialists announced that the USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Office of Continuing Professional Development will support continuing education accreditation for the Certified Pharmacy Benefits Specialist program. - USC Mann will handle accreditation support, quality oversight and academic review for the program. - ACoBS will continue to provide the PBM curriculum, instructional design, platform delivery and student support. - The program is designed for professionals involved in pharmacy benefit oversight and decision-making.

The details: - The CPBS curriculum covers PBM pricing, rebate structures, contract terms, formulary management, specialty pharmacy, benefit design, procurement, auditing and cost containment. - The program is offered in virtual live classroom, self-paced online, in-person workshop and on-demand recorded formats. - Continuing education includes 16.0 contact hours for the virtual, self-paced and on-demand formats. - The in-person workshop format includes 20.0 contact hours. - Since launch, CPBS has trained more than 1,000 professionals. - The trained group includes pharmacists, benefit consultants, brokers, HR leaders, CFOs, analysts, account managers and other pharmacy benefit decision-makers. - USC Mann said it is excited to partner on accreditation management for the program.

Between the lines: - The partnership gives the CPBS program added academic credibility at a time when pharmacy benefit oversight is becoming more complex. - ACoBS is positioning the certification as a practical response to a market where many oversight professionals lack formal training in PBM economics. - The announcement also broadens the program’s appeal beyond benefits specialists to pharmacists and pharmacy technicians seeking roles in employer consulting and managed care education.

What’s next: - ACoBS and USC Mann will move forward with the continuing education accreditation process and academic review. - Plan sponsors may use the program as a more structured education path for advisers and internal teams managing pharmacy benefits. - Consultants and brokers may use CPBS to demonstrate PBM expertise with a more formal credential.

The bottom line: - USC Mann’s involvement strengthens a certification built to help employers and advisers better manage PBM relationships and control pharmacy benefit costs.