Delaware News

Auditor McGuiness: Survey Shows Predatory PBM Practices Destroying Independent Pharmacies

Auditor of Accounts | News | Date Posted: Monday, August 30, 2021


pharmacy

DOVER, Del. – A survey of Delaware’s independent community pharmacists on the impact of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) reveals predatory practices are potentially devastating these small businesses, State Auditor Kathy McGuiness said today as she released a new special report.

“Your community pharmacists – who are your first line of defense when you are sick or hurting and need to talk – are struggling to keep their doors open,” said McGuiness, who is a licensed immunizing pharmacist and former small-business owner. “Our survey results show that these prescription drug middlemen, known as PBMs, are strangling these critically important community businesses.”

McGuiness’ office surveyed independent community pharmacy owners across Delaware in June regarding how practices by PBMs are affecting their businesses.

“The results were astounding,” McGuiness said. “The big three PBMs – CVS, Express Scripts Inc. and OptumRx, which control approximately 80 percent of the PBM market share – are using tactics that eat away at the thin profits these small-business owners fight to earn.

“What’s even worse is that the PBMs are trying to place Delawareans’ healthcare in the hands of big-box retail establishments.”

Among the survey results: 

  • PBMs’ use of one specific kind of fee that is imposed on pharmacies after a prescription sale has exponentially increased over the last few years. Known as DIR fees, these reduce or eliminate a pharmacy’s profit on a prescription transaction, and they are financially ravaging independent pharmacies. 
  • Delaware’s independent pharmacists report being squeezed by PBMs through lower reimbursements, exclusionary formularies and preferred pharmacies. By restricting increasing numbers of patients to mail-order-only pharmacies, PBMs are limiting access to medications. 
  • Delaware’s independent pharmacies suffer from similar problems noted in the 2019 National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) survey, which observed that greater oversight is needed “over the PBM corporations that contract with the state to manage prescription drug benefits for its Medicaid program and state employees.”

Read the new special report, “Predatory Practices: Survey Says Middlemen Destroying Delaware’s Independent Pharmacies,” on our website here.

Learn about the Delaware Auditor’s Office at https://auditor.delaware.gov.

###

Contact:       

Anna Nuzzolese, Executive Assistant

302-857-3907

Anna.Nuzzolese@delaware.gov

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Auditor McGuiness: Survey Shows Predatory PBM Practices Destroying Independent Pharmacies

Auditor of Accounts | News | Date Posted: Monday, August 30, 2021


pharmacy

DOVER, Del. – A survey of Delaware’s independent community pharmacists on the impact of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) reveals predatory practices are potentially devastating these small businesses, State Auditor Kathy McGuiness said today as she released a new special report.

“Your community pharmacists – who are your first line of defense when you are sick or hurting and need to talk – are struggling to keep their doors open,” said McGuiness, who is a licensed immunizing pharmacist and former small-business owner. “Our survey results show that these prescription drug middlemen, known as PBMs, are strangling these critically important community businesses.”

McGuiness’ office surveyed independent community pharmacy owners across Delaware in June regarding how practices by PBMs are affecting their businesses.

“The results were astounding,” McGuiness said. “The big three PBMs – CVS, Express Scripts Inc. and OptumRx, which control approximately 80 percent of the PBM market share – are using tactics that eat away at the thin profits these small-business owners fight to earn.

“What’s even worse is that the PBMs are trying to place Delawareans’ healthcare in the hands of big-box retail establishments.”

Among the survey results: 

  • PBMs’ use of one specific kind of fee that is imposed on pharmacies after a prescription sale has exponentially increased over the last few years. Known as DIR fees, these reduce or eliminate a pharmacy’s profit on a prescription transaction, and they are financially ravaging independent pharmacies. 
  • Delaware’s independent pharmacists report being squeezed by PBMs through lower reimbursements, exclusionary formularies and preferred pharmacies. By restricting increasing numbers of patients to mail-order-only pharmacies, PBMs are limiting access to medications. 
  • Delaware’s independent pharmacies suffer from similar problems noted in the 2019 National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) survey, which observed that greater oversight is needed “over the PBM corporations that contract with the state to manage prescription drug benefits for its Medicaid program and state employees.”

Read the new special report, “Predatory Practices: Survey Says Middlemen Destroying Delaware’s Independent Pharmacies,” on our website here.

Learn about the Delaware Auditor’s Office at https://auditor.delaware.gov.

###

Contact:       

Anna Nuzzolese, Executive Assistant

302-857-3907

Anna.Nuzzolese@delaware.gov

image_printPrint

Related Topics:  , , , , ,


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.