Citrus County Chronicle
February 12, 2020
In the competitive pharmaceutical industry where drug manufacturers vie for huge market shares, middlemen work billion dollar deals, and pharmacy goliaths dominate the prescription landscape, it’s hard to be small, and, in many cases, unfair.
That’s the take by Jesse Brashear, of Brashear’s Pharmacy in Lecanto and Inverness, and who is hoping proposed legislation that requires more transparency about drug prices.
Brashear’s focus during a local press conference Wednesday was predominately on pharmacy benefit managers and House Bill 961.
Brashear said pharmacy benefit manager middlemen who work out drug prices between pharmacies and insurance payers often favor large chain pharmacies or pharmacies they own, leaving small, local pharmacies to wither pacing far lower reimbursement rates.
“Local pharmacies are being preyed upon by the predatory practices of PBMs,” Brashear said.
“Independent pharmacies like ours aren’t asking to be paid more than another pharmacy under Florida’s Medicaid Managed care system, but we don’t deserve to be paid less,” he said.
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