Consumers Rank Mail-Service Pharmacy Satisfaction Highly

(Washington, DC)— Health care consumers report high satisfaction with a range of pharmacy optionsâ?? including mail-service pharmacies, chain drugstores, supermarkets, and mass merchandisers, according to the inaugural J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Retail Pharmacy Satisfaction StudySM, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) said today.

PCMA is the national association representing America’s pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which administer prescription drug plans for more than 210 million Americans with health coverage provided through Fortune 500 employers, health insurance plans, labor unions, and Medicare Part D.

“These data, coupled with other recent independent government findings, validate that the state of the US pharmacy system is strong. Consumer satisfaction is high; payors’ drug-trend costs are at historic lows; and consumers have widespread access to a range of high-quality pharmacy options,” said PCMA President Mark Merritt.

The J.D. Power and Associates study measured customer satisfaction with the pharmacy experience across major national retail drug store chains, mass merchandisers and supermarket stores, and mail-order channels. Aspects of the pharmacy purchase experience examined included the pharmacy environment, price and value of prescription drugs, purchase experience, experience with the pharmacists, and loyalty and purchase behavior dynamics.

The average overall satisfaction index for each of the pharmacy distribution channels were:

Mail-order pharmacies: 806
Supermarket pharmacies: 797
Mass merchandiser pharmacies: 787
Retail chain pharmacies: 786
More information on the J.D. Power and Associates study is available at jdpower.com

According to a recent study from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), proven pharmacy benefit management tools and techniques are projected to save Medicare and the commercial market more than $1.3 trillion dollars on prescription drug costs from 2008 to 2017. By generating competition among drug makers, PBMs are achieving robust savings and discounts averaging 29 percent. PBMs also provide consumers with wide access to needed medications through a range of pharmacies, including chain and independent pharmacies, supermarkets, mass merchandisers, and mail-service pharmacies. According to a recent report from researchers at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), prescription drug-spending growth rate in 2005 slowed to its lowest growth rate in over a decade, rising just 5.8 percent. The authors cite several PBM tools as the reason for the decline.

Mr. Merritt added, “With consumers reporting widespread satisfaction with their pharmacy experience, these new data from J.D. Power and Associates are a testament to the pharmacy community working together to help to lower prescription drug costs, expand pharmacy choices, and serve consumers well.”

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PCMA is the national association representing America’s pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which lower the cost of prescription drugs for more than 200 million Americans with coverage provided through Fortune 500 employers, health insurers, labor unions, and Medicare Part D

Contact Information:
Phil Blando, 202-207-3614
Charles Coté 202-207-3605

Legislation Would Eliminate Loopholes Used by Brand-Name Drug Manufacturers to Delay Generics Entry into Market

(Washington, DC)—The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) has announced support for bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Trent Lott (R-Miss.) that would eliminate certain loopholes used by brand-name drug manufacturers to reduce consumers and payors’ access to generic prescription drugs.

“One of the key drivers in lowering prescription drug spend for small businesses, Fortune 500 employers, health insurers, labor unions, and Medicare is increased generic utilization,” said PCMA President Mark Merritt. “PCMA applauds the leadership demonstrated by Senators Stabenow and Lott on this important issue and supports this bipartisan legislation that puts forth sensible solutions to increasing consumers and payors’ access to generic prescription drugs.”

Specifically, “The Lower PRICED Drugs Act” seeks to do the following:

Reform the Citizen Petition (CP) process;
Reduce the delay in generic entry when patents are challenged in court; and
Provide an avenue for additional generic antibiotics through reforms.
Proven pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) tools, such as the increased use of generics, have been recognized in driving down overall prescription drug trend. A January 2007 report authored by researchers from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) found that prescription drug-spending growth rate in 2005 slowed to its lowest growth rate in over a decade, rising just 5.8 percent. The 5.8 percent prescription-drug growth rate in 2005 represents a 33 percent reduction from the 2004 growth rate of 8.6 percent and a dramatic decline from 1999 when drug trend was running at 18.2 percent. The authors cite several PBM tools as the reason for the slowdown in prescription drug spending, including the use of generic drugs.

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PCMA is the national association representing America’s pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which lower the cost of prescription drugs for more than 200 million Americans with coverage provided through Fortune 500 employers, health insurers, labor unions, and Medicare Part D

Contact Information:
Phil Blando, 202-207-3614
Charles Coté 202-207-3605

Health Affairs: Physician Experiences Using Commercial E-Prescribing Systems

(Washington, DC)—With a survey of group practices finding physicians face cultural and infrastructural barriers to adoption of electronic-prescribing technology â?? including uncertainty over state regulation in some markets â?? the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) today reiterated its call for a national, uniform electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) standard as critical to accelerating system-wide adoption of this life-saving and cost-effective tool. The report, “Physician Experiences Using Commercial E-Prescribing Systems,” was conducted by researchers at the Center for Studying Health System Change and posted on the Health Affairs website today.

PCMA is the national association representing America’s pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which lower the cost of prescription drugs for more than 210 million Americans with coverage provided through Fortune 500 employers, health insurers, labor unions, and Medicare Part D.

“While e-prescribing technology is ready here and now, physicians have lagged behind in adopting it. A national, uniform standard is critical to helping increase physician adoption of e-prescribing technology,” said PCMA President Mark Merritt. “PCMA believes strongly that a collaborative effort among consumers, clinicians, payors, and policymakers is required to take full advantage of the opportunities available with e-prescribing technology.”

The survey finds that physicians are “positive” about basic e-prescribing features, but that three primary factors are contributing to lagging adoption, including product limitations; external implementation challenges; and physician preferences. The survey also finds that group practices in some markets cite uncertainty over state regulation as a “major impediment” to electronic transmission of prescriptions:

The survey finds that “multiple practices in Arkansas, New York, and Michigan perceived confusion among stakeholders over what types of electronic transmissions were allowed under state regulations, with practices in the same state having conflicting perceptions” of e-prescribing law.
The survey also found that similarly, “in one New Jersey practice, physicians were concerned about whether electronic prescriptions were legal on printed prescriptions in the state. To avoid having pharmacies reject them, these physicians hand-signed all printed prescriptionsââ?¬Â¦”
PCMA and its member companies have long advocated a national, uniform e-prescribing standard as a key tool to improving quality, promoting safety, and reducing costs. In the commercial marketplace, PBMs have pioneered the most sophisticated e-prescribing infrastructure and other health-information management tools to help employers, health insurers, and others to improve outcomes, promote safety, and reduce costs. Numerous data have shown that e-prescribing technology can save tens of billions of dollars in unnecessary drug spend. E-prescribing can also help increase adherence to prescription-drug therapies and more easily provide consumers information about safer and more cost-effective options, such as generic drugs and the mail-service pharmacy option.

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PCMA is the national association representing America’s pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which lower the cost of prescription drugs for more than 200 million Americans with coverage provided through Fortune 500 employers, health insurers, labor unions, and Medicare Part D

Contact Information:
Phil Blando, 202-207-3614
Charles Coté 202-207-3605