Industry Commentary
Don’t just take our word for it. Industry thought leaders, coalitions, patient advocacy groups, hospitals and government officials are all concerned with DIR fees. See what they have to say by reading below.
“Taking away our ability to expand”
“DIR fees assessed by drug plans and their pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are “taking away our ability to expand our population health initiatives and our ability to support important foundational healthcare things that we can do as a pharmacy.” – Article, March 2017
Don Carroll, Associate Chief of Pharmacy
Cleveland Clinic
“The dirty little secret”
“The dirty little secret is that PBMs—once seen as the key to controlling drug costs—are actually driving them up for everyone. As we begin to focus on the cost of drugs, part of the conversation must be DIR Fees, another example of a made-up, contrived tool used by PBMs to feed profits at the expense of patients, the Medicare program, and Pharmacy Providers. President Trump has vowed to tackle prescription drug costs—a good place to start is looking at what the PBMs are doing to fuel those costs.” – Article, February 2017
Ted Okon, Executive Director
Community Oncology Alliance (COA)
“Risking a lack of willing providers”
“The substantial negative financial impact of these fees as constructed and applied by PBMs to specialty pharmacy forces pharmacies with the highest level of expertise and efficacy in supporting complex disease with high cost therapies to question their participation in Medicare networks, thereby risking a lack of willing providers for Medicare beneficiaries.” – Editorial Article, February 2017
Sheila Arquette, RPh Executive Director
National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP)
“Shadowy middlemen”
“PBMs are health care’s shadowy middlemen, exerting tremendous control over which prescription drugs a health plan will cover and how much the pharmacies that dispense them will be reimbursed. Unfortunately for patients, pharmacies and taxpayers, PBMs have long avoided both the spotlight and the typical marketplace constraints of meaningful regulatory oversight or transparency.” – Morning Consult, March 2017
B. Douglas Hoey, RPh, MBA CEO
National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)
“They interfere with our fundamental right”
“We cannot continue to accept these abhorrent practices. They interfere with our fundamental right to do business. We did not create these practices and we were never given a voice when it came time to negotiate.” – Article, August 2016
Teresa Stickler, R.Ph, President
Pharmacists United for Truth and Transparency (PUTT)
“We have to hold everyone accountable”
“Seniors are being forced to pay more for prescription drugs than ever before, this is a major problem and we have to hold everyone accountable. No one should raise prices and grow profits at the expense of seniors and the medical providers and pharmacies that serve rural families.” – Press Release, February 2017
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT)
“Inefficient and unpredictable DIR fees”
“Community pharmacists are right to be concerned about the inefficient and unpredictable DIR fees that affect their ability to provide Medicare Part D beneficiaries with the affordable, reliable services they need.” – Press Release, September 2016
U.S. Sen. John Boozman (R-AR)
“Backdoor tactics”
“The very existence of those who dispense the miracles of the lab into the marketplace is being threatened. I’ve heard from independent and specialty pharmacies that have been forced to permanently close their doors due to unsustainable profit margins as a result of backdoor tactics employed by those who are more interested in lining their pockets than ensuring a vibrant pharmacy marketplace where businesses of all sizes and models can compete.” – Speaking on the House Floor, March 2017
Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)
“Not a partisan issue”
“Understand, this is not a partisan issue. These PBMs don’t care whether you are a Republican or a Democrat. They care about one thing, and that is profit. That is all.” – Speaking on the House Floor, March 2017
Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA)
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