FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(February 13, 2020 at 1:00p.m.)

LOCAL PHARMACY HOSTS NEWS CONFERENCE WITH PATIENTS TO DEMAND FLORIDA DRUG PRICING REFORM

PBM Reform Podcast Series: 

https://omny.fm/shows/pharmacy-podcast-network/playlists/pbmreform 

OKEECHOBEE,FLORIDA (02/13/2020) –Okeechobee Discount Drugs is hosting a press conference to call attention to the IMMEDIATE need for drug pricing reform in Florida, citing information from a new report recently released by 3 Axis Advisors, a data consultancy firm specializing in Medicaid claims analysis. The report, entitled “Sunshine in the Black Box of Pharmacy Benefits Management” is a comprehensive Florida Medicaid claims analysis that examined five years’ worth of Medicaid pharmacy data claims - more than 350 million deidentified claims obtained through the state’s “Sunshine Law”.

“We can no longer stand by and watch our patients and our state continue to be price gouged and played by these giant corporations whose first allegiance is to their shareholders,” said Steven Nelson, RPH and owner at Okeechobee Discount Drugs. “We - healthcare providers and our patients - have to take action if no one else will. We have to stand up and say we’re unwilling to watch our state healthcare system continue to be gamed by corporate analysts whose sole job is looking for loopholes to exploit. The fight is now personal.”

The Florida Medicaid claims analysis report uncovered several findings including differential drug pricing for the same medication at pharmacies that are very often within walking distance of each other; pricing certain medications very high relative to the acquisition costs, creating incentives for certain pharmacies to over-dispense the drugs; systematic patient steering to managed care organization (MCO) and pharmacy benefit manager (PBM)-owned or affiliated pharmacies, especially for higher-cost “specialty” medications typically prescribed for chronic diseases including cancer;  and a system that ensures MCO- and PBM-owned/affiliated pharmacies receive the benefit of Florida’s $12 billion annual Medicaid spend.

"As a patient, my biggest concern every month is being able to afford my medications. As a Florida resident and taxpayer I’m upset that a publicly held corporation would think it could just come to our state and take advantage of us like that. We’re not accountants, we’re just everyday people who rely on the system to help us, not to exploit us,” said Brenda Fortner, a longtime resident of Okeechobee.

“We need to do more than just give lip service to the pricing and access issues that are currently running rampant here in Florida,” said Steven Nelson, RPH at Okeechobee Discount Drugs. “Too many patients and small business pharmacies have been harmed already. Legislators need to take swift action now.”

CONTACT: Stacey Nelson

Email: Stacey @ okeedrug.com

Phone Number: 561.632.6033

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