GLP-1s, The Rebate Game & Tariffs - Oh My! A Conversation with Richard Lo, Director of Clinical Services

According to the 2025 Employer Health Care Strategy Survey by Business Group on Health, 27% of an employer's healthcare spending was due to pharmacy costs in 2023, up from 21% in 2021. And it's not slowing down anytime soon as this becomes one of the fastest-growing expense categories for businesses.

To understand why pharmacy costs continue to rise, we invited Richard Lo, Director of Clinical Services on OneDigital's Pharmacy Consulting team, to help our listeners navigate the intricate world of pharmacy benefits. From GLP-1s rise on the scene as a weight loss drug and the highly-debated rebate game to the impact tariffs may have on medications, host Jeff Cross and Richard tackle almost every topic employers are concerned about when it comes to their pharmacy plans. The two also dive into how drug pricing works and innovative strategies employers have started to implement to manage and optimize their pharmacy benefit spend. If you're a business leader looking to optimize your pharmacy benefits and get a better handle on the pharmaceutical industry overall, this episode is packed with valuable insights and information to take back to your organization.

If you want to dive deeper into this topic, check out our upcoming event on May 14th at 9 AM EST: The Truth Behind Your Rising Pharmacy Spend | Challenges & Opportunities to Take Back Control

About Friends with Employee Benefits

In this season of Friends with Employee Benefits, we're focused on one underlying theme: help employers contain their healthcare cost by, among other things, helping their employees live healthier lifestyles. This season, we’re tackling the biggest challenges in healthcare today: the obesity crisis, the rise of GLP-1s medications and skyrocketing pharmacy costs. But we’re not stopping there.

We’re diving into financial, mental and physical health – the mind-body connection, the financial stress-health link, and why America’s healthcare system focuses on sick care instead of prevention – and how that needs to change. We’re going to be sitting down with doctors, CEOs and HR professionals, pharmacy consultants, forward-thinking tech businesses, legislators and more – all with one goal – to answer the question: how are we impacting the health of our employees, and in turn, the health of the business.

If you’re ready for real talk, great insights, and practical solutions as it relates to all things healthcare, this season is for you. Subscribe to our Friends with Employee Benefits podcast and let’s rethink healthcare – together!