To celebrate his first year leading the pCPA, our CEO Mauro Chies reflects on what he’s learned since joining the organization, as well as his plans for the next year and beyond.
It’s now been 1 year since you joined the pCPA. Would you say you’ve settled into the role?
The last year has been an exceptional experience. While there’s something new to learn every day, I can say that I’ve had time to settle in. This is thanks to our awesome team and our partners — from public drug plans to patient groups, clinicians and the industry.
The drug reimbursement system is complex, but our many partners share the same commitment and common goals of excellence that benefit our health system. My new connections have become a wealth of knowledge, and I look forward to working closely with them in the coming years. I’ve especially enjoyed speaking at various conferences to share the accomplishments of the pCPA and exchange with other attendees.
When you first joined, you were surprised to learn the financial impact the pCPA has made through its drug negotiations. What’s surprising you now after 1 year on the job?
I would say the pace of change in the pharmaceutical ecosystem over the last year has been remarkable. I’m proud of the things we’ve been able to accomplish in the past 12 months, as well as changes we’ve seen with our partners. I’m continually impressed by the pCPA’s ability to innovate and rise to the moment.
And the financial impact the pCPA has made on the public system continues to amaze me. The pCPA has negotiated sizable savings that have been reinvested into our health system, and this makes me very proud to be part of this organization.
What’s something you want people to know about you that they maybe haven’t learned yet?
I like to bring people together, and I’m experienced with building teams. This is a focus for me right now, as I value cultivating meaningful relationships with our partners in the drug reimbursement system. It’s these relationships that build a strong foundation that benefits the pharmaceutical ecosystem.
I’m also a believer in looking at the big picture. That means anticipating the needs of the pCPA, including having the right resources to grow the organization, as well as that of our partners.
What do you currently see as your greatest opportunity as CEO?
We’re at a time of change. This presents an opportunity to break from the status quo. We have a chance to look for new ways to strengthen relationships and create more cohesion with our partners. I see this already happening through the introduction of our new and revised negotiation pathways, the Early Negotiation Process (ENP) and the Targeted Negotiation Process (TNP). It’s a new way of working for us that’s been informed by the needs of our members, as well as manufacturers, patients, and clinicians.
My goal is to grow our value proposition, and I’m excited to build on our existing work and show what the pCPA is capable of.
What’s your main priority at the moment?
My main priority is to move the pCPA from good to great by being laser-focused on system improvement. In 2025, we hit a milestone with our 750th agreement, and I’m determined to see us achieve more milestones this year. And that means being dedicated to our core business of negotiations, while staying agile to adapt to the needs of the system.
By continuing to listen to our partners, we can anticipate where to make marked improvements to our processes. These improvements will increase savings for our drug plans, which can be reinvested into the system.
What are your plans for the next year and beyond?
Now that we’ve added new and innovative pathways to our playbook with the launch of the ENP and TNP, I want to build on this momentum.
And there are several new initiatives I’m excited about, including a 3-year strategic plan and a new-and-improved website. From our engagement during the strategic plan development, it was abundantly clear that our partners want more information about the pCPA and its negotiation processes. So, it will be our goal to be even more transparent, while sharing our story to better inform the system and our partners.
I’m also looking to solidify our resources and talent to make sure we have the right people in the right roles to support the organization. We’ve made real progress decreasing our negotiation timelines, and that’s a result of the hard work of pCPA employees, in partnership with public drug plans and manufacturers. I want that to continue, which will mean growing our organization to fit the needs of our members and other partners in the system.