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@karandy1027
asked me to help educate on the issues with PBMs & their mail-order pharmacies. Pull up a seat. This may be long. There are over 100 issues that occur when patients are forced to mail-order pharmacies & when patients are stripped away from their trusted pharmacist.
asked me to help educate on the issues with PBMs & their mail-order pharmacies. Pull up a seat. This may be long. There are over 100 issues that occur when patients are forced to mail-order pharmacies & when patients are stripped away from their trusted pharmacist.
I know that @karandy1027 mentioned that their child received injectables. Many others do too. Patients like Cheryl was forced away from her trusted pharmacists & was forced to mail-order for her life-saving insulin. The insulin arrived ineffective & frozen https://www.change.org/p/attn-all-legistlatures-state-board-of-pharmacies-stop-forcing-mail-order-pharmacy-monitor-medication-temperatures/u/23874788
Sadly, Cheryl isn't the only one. A State Board of Pharmacy member stated that he knows this is an issue because he too has received frozen injectibles. Nothing was done because State Boards are made up of members from the PBMs. A problem discussed here. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/health/pharmacists-medication-errors.html
Many others who have forced to mail-order pharmacy and have suffered the consequences. I can easily find 20-40 people a day begging for help because their medications either don't arrive on time or arrive ineffectively. This child was starving to death. https://patientsrisingnow.org/mail-order-prescriptions-risk-insurance/
@karandy1027 The FDA doesn't regulate mail-order pharmacies. As shown in this video, State Boards are corrupt. Many of these complaints are not tracked. Patients sadly call the insurance company or pharmacy to complain. 169,000 supporters to #stopPBMabuse
@karandy1027 PBMs force patients to mail-order & knowingly force them to put meds in trucks & mail-boxes that reach 120-170 degrees. When I use a hospital or independent pharmacy, I don't have to risk it. What would happen to me if I baked my son's meds? https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/01/07/673806506/extreme-temperatures-may-pose-risks-to-some-mail-order-meds
@karandy1027 Per NPR's investigation "Standard, room temperature medications... are typically sent in bubble mailers without any temperature monitors." " "drugs in liquid form, such as the one Wesley was taking, could potentially be damaged by exposure to extreme heat or cold."
Express Scripts and PCMA knew about this issue a long time ago and tried to sweep it under the rug. Listen up PCMA and PBMs, patients will no longer allow it. We will fight for safe access to our medications through trusted pharmacists and we want justice!
@karandy1027 That article was from 1998. Our nonprofit shipped packages across the US. Not one came back with an acceptable mean kinetic temperature as recommended by USP. There are so many of these reports. No one is tracking the patients harmed.
Issue #2. Delays. The temp issue is 1 of over 100 risks that patients take when forced to mail-order. The delays & interruptions in treatment are risking lives. I've never experienced a delay or interruption with local pharmacy. PBMs face no consequences
@karandy1027 The # of transplant patients like my child left without life-saving medications is horrifying. What happens to a mother that delays or interrupts treatment. Thousands of these stories. Each one is 100% preventable. Meds are our child's life. https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/never-ending-battle-daughters-transplant-153055027
As a transplant nurse told me, this doesn't make sense. At one time, we could hand the patient the script & they'd be able to have the medication in their hands in 15-30 minutes. The same med is taking days to arrive, & they cannot keep up with the issues https://www.dispatch.com/news/20180603/mail-order-pharmacy-system-delays-meds-for-some-patients
PBMs try to say this is a rare occurrence. I disagree. Patients didn't have to take this risk when meds were able to be accessed locally. 1 time is all that it takes for a life to be at risk. Medications are our lives & safe access should be prioritized. https://floridapolitics.com/archives/316249-brittany-jackson-broken-pbm-system-puts-patient-access-at-risk
"I don’t get patient care from Accredo. I get a product shipped to me." "It’s almost impossible for me to speak with a pharmacist at Accredo. Instead, I spend my time being bounced around from department to department like a ping pong ball."
https://www.change.org/p/stop-forcing-mail-order-pharmacy/u/25590787
https://www.change.org/p/stop-forcing-mail-order-pharmacy/u/25590787
I could go on and on with these stories. Until PBMs and mail-order pharmacies are regulated we will continue to suffer. Lives are needlessly at risk when we place them in the hands of money-hungry, greedy PBM execs that harm patients and their pharmacists
@karandy1027 I saw your tweets about Express Scripts as you were asking why would they wrongly fired someone with disabilities. Simple. PBMs don't prioritize patients or their pharmacists. They prioritize profits. I am contacted by pharmacists who work or have worked for PBMs
When patient choice is eliminated, there is no reason to prioritize patients or pharmacists. As they monopolize the industry, the pharmacists are easily replaceable. Where are our pharmacists going to find another job as PBMs eliminate competition through unethical practices.
PBMs aren't transparent about the risks or drug prices. They fight to hide drug prices. #PBMs put gag clauses on our trusted #pharmacists so they couldn't tell us the cash price. Since gag clauses have been removed, the steering to PBM pharmacies is 
Issue #3 is the issue of the lack of transparency that leads to higher drug prices. @karandy1027 If PBMs were transparent, then why did "Senators threaten to subpoena Express Scripts for failing to produce #insulin documents?" #insulin4all https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2020/02/26/senators-threaten-to-subpoena-express-scripts-for-failing-to-produce-insulin-documents/
The lack of transparency doesn't benefit patients."This scheme has resulted in record profits for these insulin manufacturers and PBMs," County Attorney Ryan explained. "But it has also made insulin unaffordable for many who rely on this life-saving drug." https://patch.com/texas/houston/harris-county-attorney-sues-over-insulin-price-fixing-scheme
Issue #4. Unfair competitive practices. When I first started my advocacy due to the unsafe handling of meds, I didn't expect to uncover a rapid decline in pharmaceutical care 
America's trusted local & hospital pharmacies were & are under attack by #PBMs https://www.businessinsider.com/cvs-squeezing-us-mom-and-pop-pharmacies-out-of-business-2018-3
America's trusted local & hospital pharmacies were & are under attack by #PBMs https://www.businessinsider.com/cvs-squeezing-us-mom-and-pop-pharmacies-out-of-business-2018-3
@karandy1027
When I first learned of PBMs reimbursing trusted pharmacies below cost, I was
How is this legal? THIS IS THEFT! We shouldn't obtain any product without paying for it & to justify this practice as Middlemen/PBMs, make more than pharmacists providing critical services
When I first learned of PBMs reimbursing trusted pharmacies below cost, I was
How is this legal? THIS IS THEFT! We shouldn't obtain any product without paying for it & to justify this practice as Middlemen/PBMs, make more than pharmacists providing critical services
@karandy1027
#PBMs fail to protect & value our local pharmacies. #PBMs don't value the safest way for patients to receive our meds or the relationships between local Drs & pharmacists. As pharmacies close lives are at risk. Our lives are only a $ to PBMs https://www.kcci.com/article/as-pharmacies-dwindle-10-iowa-counties-left-in-prescription-drug-desert/29504116#
#PBMs fail to protect & value our local pharmacies. #PBMs don't value the safest way for patients to receive our meds or the relationships between local Drs & pharmacists. As pharmacies close lives are at risk. Our lives are only a $ to PBMs https://www.kcci.com/article/as-pharmacies-dwindle-10-iowa-counties-left-in-prescription-drug-desert/29504116#
@karandy1027 As pharmacies close due to abuses of #PBMs, patients travel farther for life-saving meds. Even in the midst of a pandemic, PBMs do nothing to save pharmacies or the patients whose lives they put at risk #covid19 #saveourpharmacysaveourlives https://www.post-gazette.com/business/healthcare-business/2020/07/02/Gatti-Pharmacy-Pharmacy-Benefit-Manager-PBM-reimbursement-independent-reimbursement/stories/202007020064
@karandy1027 This is what PBMs are doing! "Since the pandemic took hold, the number of prescriptions being reimbursed below cost has risen to 85%, and two-thirds of independent pharmacies are reporting negative cash flow." https://coloradosun.com/2020/05/11/eastern-colorado-pharmacies-struggle-pbm/
Local pharmacies are vital. Due to PBMs greed, many travel far or go without.
“If they weren’t here, I’d have to load her up in the car, because I can’t leave her alone too long, and drive to the pharmacy in Burlington.” A round trip of nearly 77 miles." https://coloradosun.com/2020/05/11/eastern-colorado-pharmacies-struggle-pbm/
“If they weren’t here, I’d have to load her up in the car, because I can’t leave her alone too long, and drive to the pharmacy in Burlington.” A round trip of nearly 77 miles." https://coloradosun.com/2020/05/11/eastern-colorado-pharmacies-struggle-pbm/
Per Aetna, “Once it leaves our place it's no longer our concern" "It's between you and the carrier"
"The carrier states, “You would want us to stop all postal operations in the Portland area so that we can make a special delivery of your special package?" https://patch.com/oregon/portland/when-youre-chronically-ill-need-meds-there-can-be-obstacles
"The carrier states, “You would want us to stop all postal operations in the Portland area so that we can make a special delivery of your special package?" https://patch.com/oregon/portland/when-youre-chronically-ill-need-meds-there-can-be-obstacles
#7) We love our delivery service workers, but they're not healthcare professionals or trained on how to handle and care for our meds or to prioritize lives. Many are unaware that the package they are holding has life-saving meds, so most meds are handled like any other package
#5) Pharmacy closures. #6. As PBMs force patients to #PBMs loosely regulated mail-order, many patients are left stranded by PBMs. "She states she was sent all around the warehouse looking for the package of meds that she needed to fight for her life" https://uniteforsafemedications.com/patients/2019/8/29/brookes-story
Aetna “We mailed it on Saturday & once it leaves our place it's no longer our concern" "It's between you and the carrier"
“You would want us to stop all postal operations in the Portland area so that we can make a special delivery of your special package" https://patch.com/oregon/portland/when-youre-chronically-ill-need-meds-there-can-be-obstacles
“You would want us to stop all postal operations in the Portland area so that we can make a special delivery of your special package" https://patch.com/oregon/portland/when-youre-chronically-ill-need-meds-there-can-be-obstacles
