Published by the American Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance:
“The rate of therapeutic drug use in the U.S. has steadily climbed over the years as more people fall ill and seek medical help. This increase should have resulted to a healthy economy among those in the pharmacy business, but what’s happening in real life is actually the opposite. Many independent pharmacies are struggling to make ends meet, and some even decide to close their doors since their losses are too great to recoup.”
Published by AmerisourceBergen:
“Direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees are wreaking havoc on balance sheets across community pharmacies, with many asking what can be done right now. It is reasonable to expect that pharmacy reimbursements are fair, accurate and timely, yet DIR fees are misleading, confusing and retroactive. This lack of transparency, as well as the resulting instability, threatens the viability of independent community pharmacies — and impacts patient access to medication.”
Published by Drug Topics:
“Retail pharmacists are optimistic that Medicare direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees could end, if new bills proposed in the U.S. Senate and House are passed.
In mid-February, Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Jon Tester (D-MT) introduced legislation, Senate Bill 413, which would prohibit pharmacy DIR fees from being applied after the point-of-sale for prescription drugs dispensed to Medicare beneficiaries.”
Published by The National Community Pharmacists Association:
“The phrase ‘being caught with your hand in the cookie jar’ comes to mind when watching a series of stories by New Orleans WVUE-TV’s investigative reporter Lee Zurik. They explain copay clawbacks—an under-the-radar tactic employed by some pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) corporations to extract more money from patients—in a recent three-part series (part 1, part 2, part 3). Now, that body of reporting is further advanced by a blockbuster article by Kaiser Health News reporter Julie Appleby called ‘Filling A Prescription? You Might Be Better Off Paying Cash.’ ”