The Town Crier, February 28, 2020
On Wednesday, Feb. 19, the advocacy group Small Business Pharmacies Aligned for Reform (SPAR) hosted a press conference at My Community Pharmacy in Wellington regarding pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and their effect on pharmaceutical pricing.
Speakers at the event outlined what they called “shady” practices in the PBM industry that aims to put independent pharmacies, such as My Community Pharmacy, out of business.
The pharmacy is located at 2615 S. State Road 7 near Whole Food Market in Wellington, owned by Johnny Meier, one of the speakers at the event. In attendance with Meier were other local, independent pharmacists, customers and Wellington Mayor Anne Gerwig.
Several speakers addressed the problems involving pharmacy benefit managers — middlemen who are supposed to negotiate savings for customers — and complained that they do not, in practice, benefit either the pharmacists or their customers.
The pharmacists addressed several bills under consideration in the Florida Legislature, including a bill that would put kiosks in front of pharmacies for customers to use.
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