09/19/2023
"Pharmacies are being reimbursed at a low contracted rate, which may be only pennies, while the discount card could be recouping multiple dollars, he said. In addition, the card companies charge pharmacies a fee for accepting the card, which they then split with the PBM that they work with to provide the discount."
“There are also patient data concerns, because in most of these cases, these are the pharmacies’ patients, and the pharmacies are concerned about where that data goes,” said Berryman. “They're concerned with what these companies are doing with the patient's data because they're getting the patient information, they're getting the drugs they're on, etc. They're concerned that data may be going places it shouldn't be going and it's getting sold.”
"We just encourage patients to ask their pharmacists, and shop around and ask what the cash price is,” said Berryman. “That’s how patients can do the best, frankly.”
Some discount cards either don’t work with independents, or treat independents differently than they do large chains—and many decline to accept them.
