Pharmacy plays a crucial role in healthcare systems worldwide, providing essential medications and services to patients. Recent trends have highlighted the importance of pharmacists in ensuring access to medications, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Petitions under this topic focus on issues such as reducing medication costs, expanding access to healthcare services, and advocating for patient rights.
One prominent petition calls for lowering prescription drug prices to make medications more affordable for all individuals. Another petition seeks to improve access to healthcare in rural areas by increasing the number of pharmacies and healthcare providers. These petitions emphasize the need for policy changes to address systemic issues in the pharmaceutical industry.
Join the movement by exploring the petitions on pharmacy-related issues and taking action to support accessible and affordable healthcare for all. Your involvement can help create positive change in healthcare systems and improve health outcomes for communities globally.
My employer and insurance company are forcing mail in pharmacy with a cost increase of one medication of $62. I'm being told the cost increase is due to the convenience of getting the meds by mail.. it isn't a convenience if I'm being forced into
I have commented before and I have a new comment for today. The healthcare organization that we use offers their own specialty pharmacy, which is good because it keeps us away from the big ones, but our insurance still forces us to use it and they are still predominantly a mail order service.
Since we live within a certain range, they use a courier service to deliver prescriptions the same day they are filled (you call the day before, they fill, pack, and deliver the next day, or whatever day you choose. I called them Tuesday for delivery on Wednesday for two injectable prescriptions for my wife, which she is due to take on Friday, and one for me, which is a simple refill.
Mine arrived no issues.
Hers did not. Sometimes they arrive quite late, between 9 and 10 pm, so I last checked the front door at 11 pm. Nothing. We accept most packages at the side door, but I have been told that they cannot take "special requests" for delivery, they can only deliver to the front door. I checked the side door around 10 just to be sure anyhow.
Today is Thanksgiving. We had planned on not being here but plans changed last minute. Thank goodness because the package showed up sometime this morning (last night?) at the side door! If our plans had not changed or I had not had to check the side door, the package would have continued to sit there, in the rain, until our return, most likely going out of temperature range!
This is unacceptable and easily avoided just by allowing me to get our prescriptions at our local pharmacy, which we had been using for years for these prescriptions and continue to use for all our other prescriptions!
As a Certified Pharmacy Technician that works in a semi rural independent pharmacy. We have seen so many commercial insurance companies require mail order for maintenance medications, but independent pharmacies can't run and operate on filling random antibiotics, controlled and narcotic medications. Some of our patients that can afford to bypass insurance to fill with us, but with the economy and inflation many are forced to go the cheapest route to try and save money. Pharmacy choice should ALWAYS be up to the patient.
I own a small independent pharmacy. The practices of the PBMs FORCING my patients to go to their mail order houses is killing me, and my patients!
NONE of my patients prefer mail order. NONE.
As a patient half-way through a long-term, daily maintenance medication plan that involves expensive copays and OOP payments, and extreme temperature control of medication to be most effective, as well as extortionate insurance premiums, it is criminal of my high level insurnace plan to suddenly try to force me to use mandatory mail order through which the timing and temperature control of this very costly medication cannot be guaranteed. Sick patients should not have to deal with the stress of constant monitoring often incompetent and careless delivery services. I need a guarantee that the medication plan I have already invested my significant effort, time, and money in, will continue to be the most effective for my health. My local pharmacy provides that.
Being on VA medical is just like being an E-1 all over. You have zero say in your life as it pertains to the level of healthcare you receive or how you receive it. You take what you get and are made to feel like you should just simply be grateful you get anything.
Mail order isn’t any cheaper. It just lines the pockets of large corporate pharmacies and taking away veterans’ choices to utilize local pharmacies in their areas. It also means delays in getting medicine. This is just another sign of the failure of our elected representatives in Congress to do right by the People, but they never miss a chance to do right by their own pocketbook.
Signed,
MSgt Brian N Castleberry, USMC Retired
Sav Mor in Grenada is a family owned pharmacy that gives much more than meds. Fair has helped me several times with my Medicare pharmacy plans and with advice on OTC meds that could hurt other medical issues I have. We cannot lose Sav Mor or any other independent pharmacy here or in the state!!!!
I use an independent pharmacy and the service is wonderful! We’ve used big name pharmacies before and they are slow, rude and have even messed up our meds multiple times. Independent has great personal service and they all know me by name!
We truly need our local small pharmacies. I couldn’t imagine that a Walgreens or big Corp would call my insurance for me, would make sure I’m getting the best price, would deliver scripts to those who cannot get out like our elders, a pharmacy that comes in on their off days for emergency meds.
We NEED independent pharmacies!
This feels like our rights are being stripped from us. We deserve to choose who we support! WE pay the premiums, WE should have the choice. Our independent pharmacies should not have to lose money while others are making large gains.