1
00:00:20,254 --> 00:00:20,888
Pharmacy

2
00:00:20,954 --> 00:00:22,389
benefit managers.

3
00:00:22,456 --> 00:00:23,156
What was once

4
00:00:23,223 --> 00:00:24,458
a term for health care

5
00:00:24,525 --> 00:00:25,826
insiders is now

6
00:00:25,893 --> 00:00:26,660
commonly heard

7
00:00:26,727 --> 00:00:28,128
when discussing health care

8
00:00:28,195 --> 00:00:29,363
reform.

9
00:00:29,429 --> 00:00:30,197
I'm Marisa Wojcik

10
00:00:30,264 --> 00:00:32,065
"Here & Now" series producer

11
00:00:32,132 --> 00:00:33,767
and multimedia journalist.

12
00:00:33,834 --> 00:00:35,969
A five-part series called

13
00:00:36,036 --> 00:00:36,904
Rx Uncovered

14
00:00:36,970 --> 00:00:38,705
looks at why we can't afford

15
00:00:38,772 --> 00:00:40,807
life-saving medication.

16
00:00:40,874 --> 00:00:41,775
These pharmacy

17
00:00:41,842 --> 00:00:42,910
benefit managers

18
00:00:42,976 --> 00:00:44,278
or PBMs

19
00:00:44,344 --> 00:00:45,579
act as middlemen

20
00:00:45,646 --> 00:00:47,814
between drug manufacturers

21
00:00:47,881 --> 00:00:49,449
wholesalers, insurance

22
00:00:49,516 --> 00:00:51,985
companies and pharmacies.

23
00:00:52,052 --> 00:00:53,220
They're actually adversely

24
00:00:53,287 --> 00:00:55,289
driving up the cost of drugs

25
00:00:55,355 --> 00:00:56,490
and controlling

26
00:00:56,557 --> 00:00:57,191
whether or not

27
00:00:57,257 --> 00:00:58,492
you get the medication

28
00:00:58,559 --> 00:00:59,059
that's been

29
00:00:59,126 --> 00:01:00,494
prescribed to you.

30
00:01:00,561 --> 00:01:02,563
They also undercut pharmacies

31
00:01:02,629 --> 00:01:04,398
with low reimbursements

32
00:01:04,464 --> 00:01:05,165
and pharmacies

33
00:01:05,232 --> 00:01:06,366
are going out of business

34
00:01:06,433 --> 00:01:07,734
because of it.

35
00:01:07,801 --> 00:01:08,902
They'll claim it to negotiate

36
00:01:08,969 --> 00:01:10,270
with drug manufacturers

37
00:01:10,337 --> 00:01:10,804
and pharmacies

38
00:01:10,871 --> 00:01:11,772
to reduce overall

39
00:01:11,839 --> 00:01:13,106
prescription drug costs.

40
00:01:13,173 --> 00:01:13,841
However, despite

41
00:01:13,907 --> 00:01:15,175
these claims, PBMs

42
00:01:15,242 --> 00:01:15,976
regularly inflate

43
00:01:16,043 --> 00:01:17,211
what patients pay

44
00:01:17,277 --> 00:01:18,045
and force pharmacies

45
00:01:18,111 --> 00:01:19,313
to operate a loss.

46
00:01:19,379 --> 00:01:20,948
No matter who's to blame

47
00:01:21,014 --> 00:01:23,417
the patient usually suffers.

48
00:01:23,483 --> 00:01:24,985
In Rx Uncovered

49
00:01:25,052 --> 00:01:25,652
we look at

50
00:01:25,719 --> 00:01:27,354
why your local pharmacist

51
00:01:27,421 --> 00:01:28,555
is an important part

52
00:01:28,622 --> 00:01:30,557
of your medical care team

53
00:01:30,624 --> 00:01:31,024
and why

54
00:01:31,091 --> 00:01:31,558
they're going

55
00:01:31,625 --> 00:01:32,559
out of business.

56
00:01:32,626 --> 00:01:33,527
Find more at

57
00:01:33,594 --> 00:01:35,429
pbswisconsin.org.