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I am a retired Army Colonel (O-6) with a 100 percent service-connected disability.
The good news: due my military service I have TRICARE and coverage for prescription medications.
The bad news: as a multiple myeloma cancer patient, am unable to use my preferred neighborhood pharmacy or the dedicated Spencer Cancer Center Apothecary due to pricing decisions by pharmacy benefit managers. Dealing with cancer is enough of a challenge without having to deal with “Big Box” pharmacies that sometimes do not have the unusual medications I sometimes require.
Patients should have the option to fill their prescriptions at any pharmacy they choose, as long as that pharmacy meets the requirements and expectations of the Alabama Board of Pharmacy.
Local, independent pharmacies are closing every day because of the greedy practices of PBMs. Some of these practices include:
- Punishing patients for choosing a local, independent pharmacy (charging higher copays, limited to 30-day supplies).
- Paying PBM-owned pharmacies more than the PBMs pay the local, independent pharmacy.
- Forcing patients to fill at mail-order pharmacies (thus sending business out of our state).
- Spread pricing schemes (when a PBM charges a payer more than what they pay the pharmacy for a drug. The PBM keeps the difference as profit).
- PBM fiduciary responsibility to themselves (one thing determines healthcare of Alabamians: MONEY).
- Rebates from pharmacy manufacturers to PBMs (higher priced medications are preferred because of kickbacks to PBMs).
There is a simple way to fix these issues: Require complete and total transparency of PBM business practices and require them to act in a free, open market by reimbursing all pharmacies the same. These simple actions would go a long way in protecting Alabamians from the abusive practices of PBMs.
Alabama does not have to be at the bottom of healthcare rankings. Protect Alabama small businesses and jobs. Keep revenue in local communities instead of shipping it out of state to mail-order pharmacies. Choose to stand with your local pharmacists who have always been there for their communities. Who sponsors the little league teams? Who has a sign up at the high school football field? It’s the local independent pharmacies – not CVS and Walgreens.
There are no arguments that the big money donors can use that can change the facts. Do not believe the lies being fed to you by lobbyists who have no legitimate data to back up their claims.
We need our elected officials – at both the state and federal level – to act on our behalf and to act NOW.
Please let our voices be heard, state legislators – support SB99!
Thomas Davis is a retired Army colonel and resident of Valley, Ala.
