Pharmacists raises concern about PBM cost for prescribed drugs
VERNON, AL. (WCBI) – Pharmacies across the region face major concerns about Pharmacy Benefit Managers.
Pharmacists said PBMs have made it to where they are losing money on prescriptions, paying out of their pocket.
Pharmacies across Alabama are asking lawmakers for help and are even talking about potential walkouts.
PBMs, also known as Pharmacy Benefit Managers, offer ways for health insurance companies to manage prescription drug costs.
This makes it so pharmacies and other drug manufacturers have more access to provide medicine for patients.
Pharmacist Sam Durham said recently PBMs have significantly increased the cost of medicine, making it more difficult for pharmacies to get medication.
“Patients have to be able to afford their medicine and this is creating a problem because you have an entity that is forcing the cost of medicine to go up,” Sam Durham said. “When you are involved in 25% of the expenses of our country and you are involved in it and you are causing price increases then you know that’s making it really hard on the patient.”
Originally, PBMs were designed to help reduce the price of prescription drugs but the steep increase in costs put hundreds of pharmacies in a bind.
Pharmacist Susan Ray Durham said more pharmacies are more likely to shut down and create pharmacy deserts in rural areas.
“Say if you need an antibiotic, you get a really bad cold and you have to have a prescription today, when all the pharmacies are gone then people are going to have to really travel to a bigger city,” Susan Ray Durham said. “Especially the older people, it really hurts them cause many of them can’t drive any longer. ”
Some pharmacies in Alabama have staged walkouts and are talking to state lawmakers.
“No one has any power to do anything with them. It’s hard for patients because they are being forced to pay more money and what’s their choice. Either can not take that insurance but we all know most of us are tied to where we were, are tied to a program that we belong to so it’s hard to change insurance”
The Alabama Pharmacy Association reports more than 100 pharmacies in the state have participated in a walkout for PBM Reform.
