Tribune-Review | Wednesday, May 8, 2024 7:00 a.m.
As a practicing physician and patient, I must address the letter “PBMs support Pa. pharmacies” (April 26, TribLive) by an officer from the lobbyist-driven Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA), which claims that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) save patients money. This assertion is completely misleading. Drug costs continue to rise annually, while PBMs pocket a staggering 42% of the drug dollar spend, and over 50% in the Medicare space.
PCMA fails to provide evidence of savings for patients, instead obstructing transparency regarding their financial operations, notably opposing House Bill 1993 and Senate Bill 1000. The reality is that major PBMs, controlling over 80% of the prescription drug market, steer business toward their large corporations, disadvantaging independent community pharmacies.
Through opaque business practices, PBMs like CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and Optum, all top 15 Fortune 500 companies, have created a toxic business climate for community pharmacies, leaving many to choose between closing doors or accepting coercive offers to become part of a quasi-monopoly. Corporate takeovers diminish the personal care of independent pharmacies and drain community funds to PBM giants.
Why should we trust PCMA’s misleading claims? Instead, let’s prioritize patient support, community welfare, independent businesses and fiscal responsibility by urging lawmakers to endorse HB 1993 and SB 1000.
Dr. Marion Mass
Perkasie
The writer is co-founder of Practicing Physicians of America and is a leader in Free2care.
