Since the start of the pay-for-performance and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), there has been intense pressure on the healthcare sector to improve quality of care while reducing expenses, specifically related to pharmacy. The stress has been exacerbated by expensive specialty medications, egregious price increases for some sole-source drug products, and the escalation of generic drug prices. Identify the strategic fundamentals of the problem and what mistakes were made in either the planning or implementation of pay-for-performance and the Patient Protection/ACA.

Submission Requirements:

    Be sure to post an initial, substantive response (250-300 words), by Thursday at 11:59 p.m. MST and respond to two or more peers with substantive responses by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. MST.
    A substantive initial post answers the question presented completely and/or asks a thoughtful question pertaining to the topic. Substantive peer responses ask a thoughtful question pertaining to the topic and/or answer a question (in detail) posted by another student or the instructor.
    Support your statements with logic and at least one credible reference.