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Writer's picture Shannon Wightman-Girard

Florida’s Rx drug supply chain needs fixing, more transparency

The Floridian

November 6, 2019

Yesterday, the Florida Senate met in two separate committees to discuss the issue of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) in the prescription drug supply chain. Both meetings had diverse panels representing the various interests in the matter as they attempted to move toward reform.

The Senate Committee on Health Policy met in the morning with four panelists from the Small Business Pharmacies Aligned for Reform (SPAR), Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations, Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, and Florida Association of Health Plans Inc. They discussed issues including transparency, contracting, payments, steering, and clawbacks.

Independent pharmacist, Kevin Duane, stated that the inefficiencies of the PBM process have an eventual effect on the health of the patient. Over the past four years, 15% of the independent pharmacies in Florida have shut down, and there’s been an alarming drop in medication adherence. He cited that “the patients, when an independent pharmacy closes, do not take their medications like they were before.”

Senators voiced their concerns as well.  Continue Reading

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