Thank you The Business of Pharmacy Podcast™ for having me on to talk PBM reform. Since this was recorded, Georgia has lost 5 independent pharmacies - leaving gaping holes in communities and in the healthcare system. PBM reform should be center stage in every state legislature and in US Congress.

'The notion that subtracting excessive PBM profits from drug pricing will elevate health insurance premiums doesn’t pass a laugh test.'

5 GA ind. pharmacies closed their doors Feb/March 2024 as big PBMs continue to do what they do w/out consequences.
- Bells Family Pharmacy
- Young Brothers Pharmacy
- Christian’s Pharmacy
- River Road Pharmacy
- Your Corner Drug Store

Georgia_Pharmacy_Association APCI PUTT #gapol

WATCH LIVE: @TheHill’s ‘Prescribing PBM Reform: Accelerating Transparency with Bipartisan Action’ w/Bob Cusack is starting! First up we are joined by Rep. Jake Auchincloss 🟧. Have questions? Tweet us at #TheHillHealth twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

Large PBMs/affiliated insurers employ a # of tactics to hold rx benefits hostage preventing a switch to a transparent PBM. Alabama’s HB 238 is 1st bill in nation looking to end this anticompetitive practice & protect employers. PUTT TransparencyRx APCI Alabama Pharmacy

Enjoyed talking with my great friends PUTT and Joe Shields with TransparencyRx. Also looking forward to attending The Hill event prescribing PBM reform this Wed. sponsored by TransparencyRx with speakers including Rep. Jake Auchincloss 🟧 and Antonio Ciaccia

…ibingpbmreform-thehill.splashthat.com

Mark Cuban is spot on re large PBM treatment of independent pharmacies. 3 independents closed last month in GA alone. PUTT American Economic Liberties Project Matt Stoller Georgia_Pharmacy_Association APCI 👇

First time ever quoting myself 😬. APCI has gone on record opposing Change & Amedisys deals.
“insurers and (PBMs) owning prescribers and potentially controlling what procedures are ordered and what drugs are prescribed is chilling.”
prnewswire.com/news-releases/…

Thank you Doug Collins. You were right five years ago. You are right today. PBMs can’t be trusted to set drug prices. We’ve seen enough proof – it’s time to act. Georgia_Pharmacy_Association APCI

Speaking of independent pharmacies dissappearing, checkout payment disparities in Ga. state plan. Mark Cuban 3 Axis Advisors Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company APCI Georgia_Pharmacy_Association

Wow.

“A sample of 200 prescriptions reviewed by a Virginia inspector found a 37% error rate—some of those mistakes had the potential to harm patients, state regulators determined.”

Catherine Dunn

Patients & states being overcharged by large PBMs in state plans while indep. pharmacies are short changed is an all too familiar story. States must stop trusting large PBM to set prices. Pharmacies can be paid fairly while money is saved program wide, by moving to an index model

“Ascent was, they realized, the perfect vehicle to harmonize and fix drug prices, rebates and fees and retail pharmacy reimbursements.” Marty Schladen Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost Attorney General Dave Yost ohiocapitaljournal.com/2024/02/01/ohi…

Great article on the role transparent PBMs play in reform efforts and increasing drug pricing transparency. ⁦Transparency-Rx⁩ is doing great work on this front with Joseph Shields at the helm. formularywatch.com/view/drug-pric…

Grateful to PUTT for letting me join their podcast to talk 2024 PBM reform with a few of my favorite pharmacy advocates. Steve Moore Lauren Colee Young Monique Whitney

While PhRMA has focused on price negotiations & impact on r/d via #ira , no one has brought up erosion of the part D benefit
KFF: estimated average enrollment-weighted monthly premium for Part D is projected to be $48 in 2024, up 21% from $40 in 2023
Pioneer Institute GHLF

CMS serving up some pretty empty calories in this letter to PBMs and health plans.

Read letter from CMSGov 👇
When 3 PBMs process >80% RX market & control >70% of specialty medicine dispensing, you get monopolistic behavior that harms #patients , #pharmacists & #employers
#anticompetitive
FTC Lina Khan
GHLF Pioneer Institute PPI
cms.gov/newsroom/fact-…

Independent pharmacies are some of our nation's most important #healthcare small businesses!
#SmallBusinessSaturday #shopsmall

Great and thoughtful coverage by ⁦Paula Vasan (she/her)⁩ of how large PBM practices are harming patients and independent pharmacies. ksdk.com/article/news/i…