Introduction
Both CVS Carmark and Express Scripts have excellent annual drug trend reports that provide insights into how their books of business are performing year over year. Many of these insights are useful data points when it comes time to set a pharmacy budget. One of those metrics, utilization trend, is a very important assumption in any health plan pharmacy budget. Below is a compilation of historical Rx PMPM utilization trends from these annual reports.
Overall
| Year | CVS Caremark | Express Scripts |
| 2010 | 2.5% | |
| 2011 | | |
| 2012 | -0.5% | |
| 2013 | 2.1% | |
| 2014 | 1.5% | |
| 2015 | | |
Commercial
| Year | CVS Caremark | Express Scripts |
| 2010 | | |
| 2011 | -0.6% to 0.0% | |
| 2012 | -0.5% | 0.6% |
| 2013 | 1.5% to 4.1% | 0.5% |
| 2014 | | -0.04% |
| 2015 | | 2.0% |
Medicare
| Year | CVS Caremark | Express Scripts |
| 2010 | | |
| 2011 | 3.4% | |
| 2012 | -1.2% | 0.1% |
| 2013 | 2.0% | 5.1% |
| 2014 | | 1.1% |
| 2015 | | 4.7% |
Medicaid
| Year | CVS Caremark | Express Scripts |
| 2010 | | |
| 2011 | 3.2% | |
| 2012 | 2.8% | 3.8% |
| 2013 | 1.7% | 0.4% |
| 2014 | | -0.5% |
| 2015 | | 2.0% |
Methodology
The historical Rx PMPM utilization trends are calculated as a change in total days’ supply per member.
