Summer is on the way and few changes have been made to improve the issues of forced mail-order pharmacy and safer handling of medications. Yet, the fight continues for the changes needed to save lives.
CVS Caremark, Optum RX, and Express Scripts are pharmacy benefit managers or PBMs. Throughout our advocacy, we have found that the State Boards of Pharmacy are made up of members with strong ties to the PBMs that own the largest mail-order pharmacies. This was confirmed recently in a New York Times article. Could you imagine if a homeowner called the cops when their house was being robbed, and the robber answered the phone? The scenario is played out when filing complaints with the State Boards of Pharmacy and while demanding proper regulation of mail-order pharmacy.
Yet, we cannot give up.
Before the arrival of a virus that would quickly change daily life, hopes were higher than ever as legislation passed in over 30 states to regulate PBMs that force patients to their own mail-order pharmacy, engage in practices known as gag clauses or spread pricing that raises prescription drug prices for patients, and reimburses our local pharmacies below the costs as the PBMs hoard most profits for themselves. For example, many are not aware that the PBMs will often claw back money from copays paid at the pharmacy counter. Then, PBMs charge the pharmacists fees. One type of fee, DIR fees, have increased by 45000% since 2010.
As states passed the legislation, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) which is the association for PBMs, decided to challenge the laws and question the state's ability to regulate PBMs. The Supreme Court case Rutledge v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Association would determine if the states would have the ability to regulate PBMs. In what should be classified as illegal, PCMA and PBMs are even fighting for the ability to reimburse pharmacies below the pharmacy's costs of medications which will continue to cause devastating pharmacy closures.
On April 3rd, the Court case was postponed due to Covid-19. So, what do we do while we're waiting?
The virus changed our lives rapidly, but the fight must continue for the safest access to medications which is through the access of our trusted pharmacy and the delivery in a temperature-controlled vehicle or curbside pick up. These are services that many local pharmacies offer for free.
Many are at home and are on social media on their phones or computers. Now is the time to learn and raise awareness about the issues, share your mail-order pharmacy horror story, or write your legislator to voice your concerns.
Please stay safe and hopeful. We can still win this. We must.
I'm more hopeful than ever that what is right will prevail with the support of 169,000 Change.org supporters!
Share your suggestions and issues with mail-order pharmacy story: loretta@uniteforsafemeds.com
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