Back in the day when the PBMs showed up – late 1969-1970. The vast majority of the community pharmacies were independent – somewhere in the mid-40K – independent pharmacies.
Back then the fed DOJ came out and made it quite clear that if more than one pharmacy tried to form groups that would negotiate when the PBMs over contract terms – they would be charged with collusion and “price fixing”.
Back in the mid-late 80’s a PBM came into the New England marketplace and offered the local pharmacies a contract with such draconian reimbursement rates, that the vast majority of the local pharmacies declined to sign the contract.
Once again the Fed DOJ notified that if the pharmacies did not sign the contract, the DOJ would charge all the pharmacies that declined to sign the contract with COLLUSION. Imagine, independent pharmacies being offered a contract with reimbursement rates considerably lower than the “going rate” of other PBMs and knowing that if they accepted this contract – most likely other PBMs in the area would be lowering their reimbursement rate to align with what the new PBM in the area was paying.
Maybe someone from New Mexico should reach out to Representative Stansbury. She stated that she thinks that healthcare is a HUMAN RIGHT!
Filed under: General Problems
Leave a Reply