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Medical Forum / General / Pharmacy / February 2005Medicare Modernization
There is a disturbing provision in the Medicare Modernization law regarding prescription coverage and freedom of choice. It includes the "any willing provider" clause which will let any pharmacy choose to participate in the several plans that will become effective in 2006. However, there is another provision that will allow the plan sponsors to create "sub-networks" of "preferred pharmacies" in which reduced co-payments and such will be offered. This will drive a lot of seniors away from the pharmacy of their choice if their pharmacy happens to not be in the preferred network, in effect, offering an illusion of choice. Many appreciate the courtesy and personal service offered by their independent community pharmacies and their staff, and do not like the idea of being financially punished for using a "non-preferred" pharmacy. Whether you work for an independent pharmacy or not, or if you are a senior, you should contact your U.S. Representatives and Senators and ask them to amend the legislation before these plans take effect in January 2006. You can go to http://www.governmentguide.com and enter your ZIP Code to get the names and contact information for your elected officials. If you are pharmacy personnel, I suggest contacting elected officials as well as your state board of pharmacy and ask them to speak out against this. Start an in-store petition drive as well, as several independent pharmacies here (North Carolina) are doing. Feel free to let me know if you would like further information about this, ideas for petitions, sample letters to use in contacting Representatives and Senators, etc. It's not just about protecting and securing the business of independent pharmacies and small chains, but also about protecting freedom of choice for our senior citizens. Thanks! Phillip > There is a disturbing provision in the Medicare Modernization law regarding > prescription coverage and freedom of choice. It includes the "any willing [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > Phillip I personally am willing and do pay a bit extra for services of a local pharmacist. I also am willing to forgo that help if the penalty is too high. Thus, saving 50% on the purchase of expensive drugs from Canada trumps the personallized service of the local pharmacist. By the way, I stopped quaking in my boots about Canadian drug safety when our president said that they were unsafe. I have learned that he and I have opposing opinions on almost everything. If I were a pharmacist trying to make a living, I would bitch like hell to him and Congress about leveling the market place. Bill >I personally am willing and do pay a bit extra for services of a local >pharmacist. I also am willing to forgo that help if the penalty is too high. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >Bill ================ Bill I have to agree with you.... I am a semi retired Pharmacist and honestly I myself do not have any problmes about the saftey of Canadian drugs... BUT I have one hell of a problem with some States setting up ways to force their own employees etc to use Canadian Pharmacies.... We all know that Canada has Price Controls ... limiting what any drug Manufacturer can sell their products for in Canada... Seems to me the Federal Government "could" or should just set the exact same requirements here.... END OF PROBLEM.... I also feel that since the Manufacturers are limited in what they can charge in Canada they just increase the prices they charge in this counrty... So the American "drug" user....lol...ends up paying the fair price plus the an extra price so that the Manufacturers bottom line stays the same... You bet I get frosted when I loose a customer...but honestly I can not blame any of them... I have only been retired for 6 years and I am now starting to feel the effects of slight increases in the cost of living..... Bob Griffiths Just out of curiousity- if you have questions about your medication, do you call your Canadian pharmacist? As a pharmacist in Texas, I am always used for information by people who get their medications by mail-order or from Mexico > Just out of curiousity- if you have questions about your medication, do > you call your Canadian pharmacist? > As a pharmacist in Texas, I am always used for information by people > who get their medications by mail-order or from Mexico So far, that has not been a problem. I look up the drug on the internet. I have had problems in that generics do not necessarily look like the original or other generics. If I had such a problem, I would call the Canadian pharmacy. I am all for American pharmacists being able to compete with Candian pharmacist. The fault lies in Washington, DC, not with the consumers. Bill >So far, that has not been a problem. I look up the drug on the internet. I >have had problems in that generics do not necessarily look like the original >or other generics. If I had such a problem, I would call the Canadian >pharmacy. Sometime in the distant past the color etc of the original product (the Brand) was ruled ( by the Federal Courts) to be part of their patinet ...and later the color was ruled to be part of the Brands trademark Therefor the Generic drug has to be colored differently then the original Brand... not really a problem except with a 1000 Generic suppliers you can get almost 1000 different colored "pills" MY bitch as a semi retired Pharmacist is that the chains switch manufacturers every other order it seems...Generic Flexeril is yellowish this month white the next...Generic Prozac is greenish this month white the next.... Therefore I have to make a note to explain to Mrs Smith that the new white pill is the same thig she got last month ... Wish I could deal with 3rd Party issues as I can with Mrs Smith however... Bob Griffiths >I am all for American pharmacists being able to compete with Candian >pharmacist. The fault lies in Washington, DC, not with the consumers. > >Bill |
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