Good Shepherd Pharmacy

10/18/2025

Amazon is betting that immediate prescription fills at an in-office kiosk will eliminate the barriers for the approximately 30% of prescriptions that are never filled. It may help, but convenience is just one of many reasons patients don't fill (or don't take) their prescriptions.

Our efforts would be far more effective if we addressed the biggest problem for many Americans: high prices.

CVS Health investors reacted to the announcement by pushing the price of that company's shares down to less than $75.83, from $77. 80, immediately after the news came out.

10/09/2025

PBM Reform is Here: States Lead the Way! 👏

The call for real PBM reform is finally moving from debate to law across the U.S. This article highlights a few of the legislative wins we hoped for in 2025, with multiple states making changes to help level the playing field for community pharmacies.

Alabama's new law boosts independent pharmacies by ensuring fair PBM reimbursements, while Nevada sets a precedent for expanding pharmacist health care roles.

10/06/2025

The disappearance of local pharmacies contributes to pharmacy deserts, leading to declining patient health and rising costs. Community pharmacies often struggle under the weight of a volume-based model, but a value-based approach can help.

10/03/2025

Do you think your health insurance plan puts patients first? As health costs rise exponentially, the decision makers behind the employer-based plans that cover more than 150 million Americans are faced with tough decisions. But what if these plans could lower costs and improve the benefits? It may be possible with a self-funded health plan.

Our founder, Phil Baker, explained it here 👉 https://goodshephealthinstitute.org/what-is-a-self-funded-health-plan/.

Employer-sponsored health insurance is a staple of many employee benefits packages, but as costs rise, many consider self-funded plans.

09/25/2025

Too often, we hear about pharmacy closures. What great news for Albany to see a community pharmacy opening instead!

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09/23/2025

While a transparent PBM is a step in the right direction, it still operates within a traditional model. To achieve both lower costs and better health outcomes for your organization, consider a more innovative approach: value-based pharmacy.

A new employer survey shows a growing interest in making the switch to a transparent pharmacy benefit manager. | A new employer survey shows a growing interest in making the switch to a transparent pharmacy benefit manager.

09/01/2025

We will be closed today, Monday, Sept. 1, for Labor Day. We will reopen tomorrow Sept, 2.

08/28/2025

Please note: Good Shepherd will be closed Monday, Sept. 1, for Labor Day. We’ll return to our regular schedule on Tuesday, Sept. 2.

08/27/2025

💊 Pharmacy professionals, we need your insights on how things are going! What challenges do you face at work? What's going well? What changes would help improve pharmacy for all involved?

Quick, totally anonymous survey 👉

Many pharmacies are understaffed. Tell us about yours. Let's identify the problems and find opportunities to fix them.

08/25/2025

Have you noticed that as the cost plus pharmacy movement has become more popular, a few bad actors want a piece of the pie?

Some of these groups – including both PBMs and organizations like GoodRx that claim to work in patients' best interests – set prices for patients based on NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost), while their independent counterparts typically use AAC (Actual Acquisition Cost). By using NADAC as a cost plus foundation, those big names are gaming the system and potentially costing patients thousands.

We ran the numbers from 2024 👉 https://goodshephealthinstitute.org/the-myth-of-nadac-as-a-cost-plus-pharmacy-pricing-foundation/.

Cost plus pharmacies seem like a good way to save money on prescriptions...unless their prices are based on a the faulty premise of NADAC.

08/21/2025

Pharmacists are a critical part of the health care system. And there's a looming shortage of them. We've got a few ideas for reversing that trend. 👇

08/19/2025

PBMs often drive up drug prices without improving outcomes.
Take insulin: it’s cheap to make, but patients still pay hundreds. We need transparency and accountability in drug pricing.💊📢