FTC Extends Public Comment Deadline on Supply Chain Disruptions to March 14

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will extend the deadline to submit comments as part of its inquiry into supply chain disruptions, a press release says.

The FTC said in November that it planned to take comments on how supply chain issues have affected competition in consumer good markets.

The comments will provide an opportunity for participants in the market to chime in with additional examples of how the disruptions have caused damage.

The FTC added more time because there had been requests from potential commenters for the extension. The deadline was February 28, 2022; it is now March 14, 2022.

The supply chain woes of the pandemic have been a much-written-about topic, and PYMNTS writes recently that businesses of all sizes have become tired of the new complexity around maintaining stock, experiencing shortages and working around price increases.

See also: Merchants Use Communication, Visibility to Relieve ‘Supply Chain Fatigue’

The report says that the fatigue of dealing with this wide swathe of issues has seen marketplaces and brands focused on communication and visibility with suppliers, customers and employees.

The report says it’s particularly important that supply chain partners keep one another up to date on order statuses to alleviate confusion.

PYMNTS wrote that the FTC has also opened public comment for the ways that Pharmacy Benefit Managers’ practices have affected drug affordability and access, which will be open through April 25.

Read more: FTC Seeking Public Comment on Pharmacy Benefit Managers Through April 25

The FTC public comment period looks at contract terms, rebates, fees, pricing policies, steering methods, conflicts of interest and consolidation across the PBM industry.

The agency wants to know how those practices are impacting everyone: patients, physicians, employers and independent and chain pharmacies, along with other businesses.

PBMs manage prescription drug benefits for private health insurers, Medicare Part D drug plans, large employers and other payers. The biggest ones are linked with health insurance companies and specialty pharmacies. Their approach gives them “financial incentives to steer patients to use their affiliated services,” according to the commission’s announcement.