A patient calls out the many issues with forced mail-order pharmacy. 

Keep in mind Optum RX, CVS Caremark, and Express Scripts are pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) that handle reimbursements to pharmacies and own their own mail-order pharmacies that they force patients to.

In her writing, she states the following:

In addition, there are several issues regarding PBM practices that hurt pharmacies and patients alike:

1. PBMs own automated dispensing facilities that fill and ship prescriptions requiring 90-day supplies. This is referred to as “mail order pharmacies.” These robotics-driven assembly lines don’t deliver the patient benefits of a traditional pharmacy.

2. When mail orders are sent out, the medications are exposed to extreme temperatures when left on porches or in mailboxes. This can lead them to be less effective and unsafe. For example, patients with respiratory problems who rely on their treatments to relieve acute breathing difficulties, an inaccurate medication dosage (due to very hot or very cold temperatures) can lead to serious medical consequences.

3. Mail order pharmacies make it impossible for patients to talk with a pharmacist to obtain the counseling they need. If a patient has a serious concern, waiting 48-72 hours is stressful for them to get a call back from someone who doesn’t know their medical/drug history, while the patient isn’t familiar with the pharmacist either.

4. Many mail order patients still call their pharmacists, but when PBMs and mail orders put the pharmacies out of business, where will these patients go?

According to the website for amNewYork, “PBMs can charge insurers a higher rate for claims then reimburse pharmacies at a lower level and keep the difference, in a method called ‘spread pricing.'”

Thank you for your support!

Please keep sharing your stories and Op-Ed pieces with local newspapers. Momentum is building! 

Share your story: loretta@uniteforsafemeds.com

Donate to support our advocacy