Indie pharmacies report shortages
By HME News Staff
Updated 8:53 AM CST, Thu February 15, 2024
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Nearly 96% of independent pharmacy owners and managers report experiencing shortages or backorders of GLP-1 drugs, according to the results of a new survey from the National Community Pharmacists Association. Most report ordering the drugs upon paid claims (63%) rather than keeping a stock on hand (37%) due to high prices and low reimbursement from pharmacy benefit managers, the survey found. “GLP-1s have been tremendously popular over the last couple of years and are an important, albeit expensive, option for many patients,” said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, pharmacist, MBA. “But independent pharmacies are in the counterintuitive predicament of seeing top line revenues grow while the bottom line shrinks due to payments from PBM-insurers that are often significantly below the pharmacy’s cost to acquire the medication. When added to the unsustainably low reimbursement pharmacies are seeing on other drugs, plus payment clawbacks, the steering of patients into PBM-insurer affiliated pharmacies and take-it-or-leave-it contracts, it’s a challenging time to own and operate a community pharmacy. Pharmacy’s reputation as the location with the most accessible health care provider in their communities is being threatened.” The survey was sent to about 10,000 independent pharmacy owners and managers from Feb. 2-12, 2024, with 385 responding.
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