Trumm Drug

Trumm Drug DOES Express Scripts

Express Scripts is a Pharmacy Benefits Manager (PBM) that processes the claims for various health insurances like Preferred One. These PBMs contract with pharmacies to provide prescriptions to the health insurances they represent. Congress believes the contracting process is negotiated between the 2 entities. In practice it is a take it or leave it process. When Trumm Drug tried to negotiate the contract we were told that, “it is non-negotiable.” Being non-negotiable on a contract that is not acceptable to Trumm Drug puts us in a position of accepting and hoping that it somehow works out or not accepting and loosing valuable customers that need to go to a provider that will contract with the PBM. We have decided to sign the contract with Express Scripts, which is now a 3-year term with decreasing reimbursement each year. We will try to negotiate with them regardless of their philosophy. We are not the only pharmacy experiencing this problem; it is nation-wide, independent and chain drug stores. The aggressive nature to which these PBMs are contracting with pharmacies will continue until access to pharmacy services are decreased to a point of affecting the ability of the insured to have a prescription filled. We are trying to avoid this by negotiating with them! Now it’s up to them to come to the table and negotiate with us in good faith. Or the Federal Government needs to abolish its policy on prohibiting pharmacies from collectively negotiating with the PBMs.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.ncpanet.org/media/releases/contract_fairness.php

Click Here to read about the Community Pharmacy Fairness Act (pdf attachment).

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