Patient Reviews Suggest Mail Order Doesn’t Deliver

By Michael Rule, Manager of Public Affairs and Grassroots Advocacy

For many consumers, the promise of mail order saving is a part of why they select this method of delivery. Internet and television advertisements tell them that if they order a product online or over the phone they can save on out-of-pocket costs and enjoy the added convenience of having the product delivered directly to their home. However, with pharmaceuticals, errors in shipment or delays in delivery can have serious consequences on a patient’s health.

Patient Testimonials Speak Volumes for Independent Community Pharmacies

By Michael Rule, Manager of Public Affairs and Grassroots Advocacy

Independent pharmacists know firsthand how patients feel about their service as receiving a heartfelt thank you from a patron is a typical daily occurrence. Whether it’s taking steps to avoid adverse medication interactions, working with their doctor to switch their prescription to an appropriate lower cost generic alternative, counseling them on the proper use of their medications, or even providing free same day home delivery to a patient, those services are appreciated.

More Mail Order Pharmacy Waste Documented by Pharmacists

By Kevin Schweers

Community pharmacists continue to report egregious cases of wasted prescription drugs fueled in part by mail order pharmacy practices, such as auto-shipping. While the pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) that own most mail order facilities may downplay incidences of shipped wastage, Medicare officials have voiced new concerns about this phenomenon and the experiences of local pharmacists suggest that Medicare is in the right.

Congressional Attention Focused on Independent Community Pharmacy and Patient Access to Care

By Michael Rule, Manager of Public Affairs and Grassroots Advocacy

NCPA’s 45th annual Legislative Conference wrapped up this week, and the timing could not have been more appropriate for independent community pharmacy. It was whirlwind week of legislative activity, to recap:

Reps. McMorris Rodgers, Marino Address NCPA Meeting; Urge Grassroots Action by Pharmacists

By Kevin Schweers

Two leading Members of Congress delivered stirring speeches championing pro-patient, pro-pharmacist bills that each has introduced and implored independent community pharmacists and others to take grassroots action to advance the legislation.

NCPA Keeps Up Call for PBM Transparency

NCPA continues to be a leading advocate for greater transparency from pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and renewed that call in written comments submitted recently to Medicare officials.

Arkansas Pharmacists Help Enact Generic Drug Pricing Transparency Law

Congratulations to the Arkansas Pharmacists Association (APA) and all Arkansas pharmacists on enactment of S.B. 1138, legislation to bring transparency, among other reforms, to generic drug reimbursement limits known as maximum allowable costs (MACs). The bill was signed into law April 12 by Governor Mike Beebe (D).

Independent Community Pharmacies to the Rescue – Part 2

By John Norton

In “Independent Community Pharmacies to the Rescue – Part 1″ we shared the story of Dave Miller as one more example of why public surveys routinely report high levels of respect for traditional corner drug stores. Being patient-friendly is one of the cores of the business. The average independent community pharmacy derives more than 90 percent of its revenue from prescription drug sales, so they depend on patients returning to their stores, mostly through a personal touch and by offering niche services. However, the bond between pharmacists and patient often grows even stronger during trying times.

Independent Community Pharmacies to the Rescue – Part 1

By John Norton

Each year’s release of the Gallup survey on professional honesty and integrity, J.D. Power and Associates U.S. Pharmacy Study on patient satisfaction and Boehringer Ingelheim’s comprehensive data validate the popularity of independent community pharmacies’ patient-friendly business model. However, even these convincing numbers and analyses cannot fully reflect the personal stories that help illustrate what distinguishes these community pharmacies.

Liberty Medical’s Troubles Recall Rampant Mail Order Waste

By B. Douglas Hoey, RPh, MBA

Liberty Medical Supply, Inc., made iconic (or infamous depending on your perspective) by pitchman Wilford Brimley and allegedly one of the biggest purveyors of mail order waste, has fallen on hard financial times, recently filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. While the company’s future may be uncertain, mail order waste is alive and well.