Pharmacy
benefit managers.
What was once
a term for health care
insiders is now
commonly heard
when discussing health care
reform.
I'm Marisa Wojcik
"Here & Now" series producer
and multimedia journalist.
A five-part series called
Rx Uncovered
looks at why we can't afford
life-saving medication.
These pharmacy
benefit managers
or PBMs
act as middlemen
between drug manufacturers
wholesalers, insurance
companies and pharmacies.
They're actually adversely
driving up the cost of drugs
and controlling
whether or not
you get the medication
that's been
prescribed to you.
They also undercut pharmacies
with low reimbursements
and pharmacies
are going out of business
because of it.
They'll claim it to negotiate
with drug manufacturers
and pharmacies
to reduce overall
prescription drug costs.
However, despite
these claims, PBMs
regularly inflate
what patients pay
and force pharmacies
to operate a loss.
No matter who's to blame
the patient usually suffers.
In Rx Uncovered
we look at
why your local pharmacist
is an important part
of your medical care team
and why
they're going
out of business.
Find more at
pbswisconsin.org.