PBM

PBM is an acronym that can refer to several distinct concepts across science, medicine, and technology. The most common usages are photobiomodulation, pharmacy benefit management, and portable bitmap formats.

Photobiomodulation (PBM) refers to the therapeutic use of non-thermal light, typically in the red to near-infrared spectrum (roughly 600–1100 nanometers), delivered by lasers or LEDs. The aim is to influence cellular processes such as mitochondrial respiration, ATP production, and nitric oxide signaling. Reported potential benefits include reduced pain and inflammation, accelerated wound healing, and possible effects on certain neurological conditions. Efficacy varies by condition and by treatment parameters such as wavelength, dose, duration, and treatment site. The mechanism is not fully understood, and results across studies are mixed. Safety is generally favorable when administered by trained professionals, with few adverse effects reported.

In healthcare, PBM stands for Pharmacy Benefit Manager, a third-party administrator that negotiates prescription drug benefits for health plans, employers, and unions. PBMs coordinate formularies, rebates, and pharmacy networks to manage costs and improve appropriate drug use. The industry has faced scrutiny over pricing transparency and rebate practices, though supporters contend that PBMs simplify benefit design and incentivize cost-effective prescribing and dispensing.

PBM is also used for Portable Bitmap, a simple uncompressed image format in the Netpbm family. PBM encodes monochrome images and exists in ASCII (P1) and binary (P4) variants, commonly used in education and basic image processing due to its simplicity and broad software support.

Other less common uses include terms such as project-based management and policy-based management, depending on the context.