Another news report highlights the horrifying issues that many patients as they are forced to mail order pharmacies owned by the pharmacy benefit managers or PBMs.
The three largest PBMs that steer patients to their own mail order pharmacies are Optum RX, CVS Caremark, & Express Scripts.
From the report:
In Boesing’s case, her insurer’s PBM, CVS Caremark, required patients to use its own mail-order pharmacy for specialty drugs, or medications that treat rare, complex and chronic conditions. Boesing began the “eye-opening experience” of discovering the many ways PBMs make medication more expensive and harder to access, while operating in near secrecy.
“Lives are on the line. Lives are being risked,” she told Truthout. “There’s so much patient harm, and no one’s doing anything to stop it.”
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“There’s a lot of momentum,” said Boesing, although she noted that many people still have no idea that PBMs exist. “There’s so much going on — between drug prices, and pharmacy access, and medication access issues.… It’s creating this major call for action.… The pharmacists and the physicians are starting to get louder. But it’s really those community members, and the patients, and caregivers that need to be right beside them.”
Thank you to our wonderful supporters of this petition that shared your stories. Keep up the great work!
Here are two additional calls to action:
1. Contact your congressional leaders and ask them to support HR 9096, The Pharmacists Fight Back legislation.
2. There will also be a peaceful demonstration and Optum HQ in Eden Prairie, MN on September, 13th 2024 from 9 am to noon. I hope to see you there!
Thank you,
Loretta Boesing, Patient Advocate
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