John* is a pharmacist in a small community. A wonderful husband and father to his two children, John has a quiet, humble demeanor – the essence of a Christian servant. However, he suffers from depression and anxiety and was hospitalized by his loved ones out of fear that he would commit suicide. He may never return to serving the community he loves so much.
John’s depression and anxiety are directly related to the current crisis which exists for every independent pharmacist. He concluded he would be unable to keep his pharmacy open, meaning he would no longer be able to care for his family and that his community would lose one of only two healthcare providers in their little town. John’s elderly patients depend on him and would be forced to drive for miles to find another pharmacy.
Why? Because the behemoth health insurance companies have their “knee on the neck” of this small-town pharmacist. John is a REAL person, not a number.
Anna is another small-town Alabama pharmacist. Unassuming, kind and gentle, Anna is an amazing soul facing this same crisis. After graduating from Auburn’s prestigious Harrison College of Pharmacy, Anna returned to her hometown as a proud second-generation pharmacist, following in her dad’s footsteps. She is the heir apparent to her dad’s pharmacy.
Anna’s daughter is also a pharmacy student at Auburn. She plans to return to her hometown to run the family business – the third generation in a more than 55-year-old business. I recently watched Anna fight back tears as she explained to her daughter the reality of the current state of community pharmacy and the fact that the family business may not be able to support their future together by the time she completes her education and returns home. Family dreams are shattering and hope is dwindling. Anna is a REAL person, not a number.
Brett is a young, mild-mannered pharmacist with a beautiful family. He bought the pharmacy of someone who mentored many, including himself. Like Brett, these mentees learned to be servants to the patients who depend on them to ease pain, provide hope for healing, give healthcare advice, and sometimes be a shoulder to cry on when hope fades.
Brett’s challenges are the same as Jim’s and Anna’s but more complicated. When Brett bought his pharmacy a few years ago, a local bank provided the bulk of the financing. With the burden of this debt looming over him like a cloud, Brett will do everything he can to survive, but his efforts may be in vain under the current climate. Brett is a REAL person, not a number.
Sherrie’s husband was a very special person, an amazing Christian caregiver, and yes, a pharmacist. Like so many other small-town pharmacists, he was also a trusted advisor, and many patients preferred his counsel over that of their doctors.
Sherrie is an innocent bystander in the current crisis. When her husband died, she financed the sale of his pharmacy, having no control over what followed. Even though she depends on income from the sale of the store, she has witnessed firsthand the impact our independent pharmacies have on our lives. It’s difficult for Sherrie to sleep at night as her worries consume her peace of mind. Sherrie is a REAL person.
What is this crisis all these individuals – and, by extension, each of us – face? We are all at risk of losing our local independent pharmacists upon whom we depend heavily. Eventually, we will also start to lose our pharmacies in grocery stores and chains, for they are experiencing the same dilemma.
The issue at hand is an anticipated piece of legislation in the Alabama Legislature which, if not passed, will financially cripple our beloved pharmacists and threaten their existence. The key component is a proposed “dispensing fee,” … and the big insurance companies are the only ones not paying the fee.
The fee is a nominal amount of just over $10. It will save our local pharmacists.
The highly skilled lobbyists and those who want to curry favor with big insurance companies are trying to frame this fee as a tax. They know that no legislator in Alabama wants to be known for voting
for a tax increase. Doing so is the death nail in their reelection coffin. If the powerful lobbyist working on behalf of the insurance companies can get in front to incorrectly frame this fee as a tax, the legislation will be defeated – and your hometown pharmacist will disappear.
Who is your local pharmacist? Say his or her name. That’s who we risk losing.
What created this crisis? Big insurance companies want to shirk their responsibility to the insured. Instead of denying your claim for badly needed medications, insurance companies now hide behind entities known as Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). These PBMs totally control if, when and how you will get your medications. More importantly, they control how much your pharmacist will be paid for the drugs. In many cases, the PBMs are now paying our pharmacists less than these drugs cost. Sometimes, these shortfalls are hundreds of dollars. In addition, your pharmacist was forced to sign a contract that doesn’t allow them to tell you they just lost a couple hundred dollars while filling your prescription. To further cause harm to patients, the pharmacist isn’t allowed to share ways to save money on your medications. This is a crisis.
The PBMs and mega-insurance companies are making billions of dollars while we are denied the vital medication we need, and our pharmacists are in danger of closing their doors. This is a crisis.
I am a Certified Public Accountant. I have been working with small business owners for more than 45 years. I have been recognized in the courtrooms of Alabama as an expert in my field on many occasions. As an expert, I know a tax when I see a tax. The proposed dispensing fee is NOT A TAX. This is a crisis.
*Name has been changed.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
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