For employers looking for guidance on navigating contracts with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), there are a variety of resources available; but you have to be cautious about who's supplying the information.

URAC (the Utilization Review Accreditation Commission) is responsible for granting accreditation for a variety of health care organizations, including PBMs. Their set of criteria is designed so that consumers and employers can trust that a provider meets universal requirements for fair business practices. However, the group is not immune to the size and influence of the PBM industry.

Not surprisingly then, URACs "PBM Purchasers Guide: A Quality Management Toolkit" offers some misleading information and neglects some of the more troubling aspects of PBM behavior.