Business Insight Journal Interview with Paul Pruitt, Co-founder and Chief Growth Officer at SHARx

Paul Pruitt, co-founder of SHARx, argues that the U.S. drug affordability crisis is driven by a lack of transparency and the vertical integration of the top three Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). He highlights how the current system relies on opaque rebates from manufacturers, which he compares to bribes, that incentivize PBMs to favor high-cost brand-name drugs over more affordable alternatives to maximize their own profits.

To address these misaligned incentives, Pruitt advocates for a shift toward “pass-through” models and value-based pricing where costs are tied to treatment efficacy. SHARx operates by helping employers exclude high-cost drugs from traditional insurance and instead sourcing them through the open market to secure lower prices for members.