New PCMA Ad Campaign: 'It's the Oregon Drugstore Lobby vs. Employers'

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Pharmaceutical Care Management Association

Mar 05, 2013, 12:06 ET

New Regulations Could Increase Prescription Drug Costs $147 Million

WASHINGTON, March 5, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the Oregon drugstore lobby launches new attacks seeking to undermine tools used by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to lower prescription drug costs, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) released a new ad campaign defending the rights of employers, unions, and government programs to reduce wasteful pharmacy spending. As the ad says, employers think, "it's wrong" for the Oregon drugstore lobby "to force businesses to pay more for prescription drugs."

"The agenda promoted by the Oregon drugstore lobby would enrich local pharmacies by making every other business pay more for prescription drugs," said PCMA President and CEO Mark Merritt. "This ad campaign will educate Oregon decision makers about the important savings and safety benefits PBMs provide to employers, unions, and consumers."

Click here to see the new ad:

"It's the Oregon Drugstore Lobby vs. Employers
in the Fight to Reduce Prescription Drug Costs"
Vote NO on SB 402 and SB 363

The Oregon drugstore lobby agenda includes:

Stopping employers from promoting the use of lower cost and more convenient mail-service pharmacies.
Adding new laws that give drugstores the power to charge higher prices.

Restricting the use of mail-service pharmacies and other proven PBMs tools will increase prescription drug costs by more than $147 million over the next 10 years. According to a recent survey, eight-out-of-ten small businesses want to be able to continue offering discounts that encourage employees to use the more affordable mail-service pharmacy option and consumers who use home delivery are strongly satisfied with it.

PCMA represents the nation's pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which improve affordability and quality of care through the use of electronic prescribing (e-prescribing), generic alternatives, mail-service pharmacies, and other innovative tools for 215 million Americans.

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SOURCE Pharmaceutical Care Management Association