Big Pharma Frustration with Physician Dispensing
BOCA RATON, Fla., Aug. 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The following article by Anthony Phillips President of the Physician Dispensing Association discusses attempts by a multinational pharmaceutical company to undermine physician dispensing.
How do you know when your innovation is on the right track? One good indication may be found in the reaction you receive from the protectors of the paradigm you're trying to disrupt. I recently was made aware of a real-life example of this that just happened just this past weekend.
I was saddened to hear that at this year's American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Sumer Meeting in New York, a large, well known, multinational pharmaceutical company was heard publicly "slinging mud" at one of the industry's most exciting innovators. I am also reassured though that this is a good indication the innovator is changing things for the better. To make big pharma so concerned that their only resort is to turn around and slap the new kid on the block you must be doing something right!
There is no doubt It has been a rough past few years for big pharma. Headline after headline highlighting blatant industry-wide greed that pop-up seemingly on a weekly basis. Not only have their CEOs been taking a public shaming over price gouging, they have also introduced little-to-no new innovations or products.
In the article, The Public's View of Pharma Just Keeps Getting Worse published August 30th, Ed Silverman said, "Of 25 different business sectors, only the federal government is held in lower esteem by most Americans, according to a recent Gallup Poll." Could all the recent bad press and public criticism have anything to do with it?
Who was this company that earned the exasperation of a pharmaceutical giant? The company under attack is one whose members I have worked closely with for the past two years, Prescriber's Choice. Prescriber's Choice and its physician members have quietly but effectively been addressing some of the biggest issues in our healthcare model. Prescriber's Choice was founded on three core principles:
- Enhance Patient Understanding
- Increase Patient Compliance
- Improve Patient Outcomes
This type of regard for our medical practitioners and their patients has been something painfully absent from the recent landscape of the pharmaceutical industry. This brings no surprise that this could make a company like Prescriber's Choice fall into the cross hairs of a pharmaceutical goliaths who have been putting profits over needs for some time now.
Our PDA members that use Prescriber's Choice are seeing amazing results from implementing the model into their practice. Most of them are dermatologists. The field of dermatology has been uniquely affected by recent price spikes in the industry, and reductions in insurance coverage.
Physicians love the point-of-care service because of how it has given them back the ability to practice medicine the way it was meant to be practiced. The patients see new hope in their prescription availability as physicians are providing custom-tailored medications directly to their patients, from the point of care. These medications are typically provided for less than the average specialty co-pay in a pharmacy. We asked some of our members what using Prescriber's Choice meant to them and their patients.
"Having the ability to custom formulate dermatology prescriptions that are both effective and economical for my patients, has been professionally gratifying and extremely empowering." - Julie Kenner MD PhD
"In office dispensing through Prescriber's Choice has helped alleviate the frustrations of our patients not being able to get the medications we want them to have due to cost or barriers from insurance companies." - Dr. Jerome Potozkin
"Prescriber's Choice allows me and my team the freedom to prescribe prescription medications based upon the patient's diagnosis and their needs without the limitations of insurance coverage, high cost or "special" access to mail order pharmacies. My patients obtain their medication immediately at the time of their appointment. Affordability is paramount and retail pharmaceuticals carry untenable costs. "Special" cards to defray this cost are specious as they charge insurance high fees for which we all ultimately pay. Prior Authorizations frequently fail and they consume valuable time while increasing frustration from patient and provider alike. Prescriber's Choice provides medications from an US based, FDA facility and my patients regularly obtain excellent results" – Carla Bauman, MD
"With the changing landscape of healthcare, essential and important medications are becoming harder for patients to obtain. Rising costs and decreasing coverage are problematic. As a physician, I have seen this first hand and I spend a large part of my day in the decision-making process of how to get patients medications and wondering if they will be covered. My staff and I spend excessive amounts of time determining what specialty pharmacies dispense what medications, if a coupon is available, filling out prior authorizations and then we end up speculating if the patient will even get the medication. This situation is a burden to my staff, me and most importantly, my patients. Since discovering and using Prescriber's Choice, I have been able to save my patients time and money and it is reassuring knowing that the patient has the medication they need when they leave my office. I have been incredibly happy with in-office dispensing thus far and am planning to expand the medications I carry in my office." - James C. Collyer, MD,
It is notable that these physicians have even taken additional steps to become an accredited practice through The Physician Dispensing Association, demonstrating that they meet the highest quality standards and state and federal regulations for dispensing medication outside of a pharmacy setting.
Yes, innovation brings the inevitable "break-the-rules" backlash, but is Prescriber's Choice breaking any actual rules? They are not. How do I know this? I know because we (The Physician Dispensing Association) have reviewed their model and its implementation by its physician members. We have carefully reviewed state by state the requirements to audit this physician dispensing platform. But that's not all.
Prescriber's Choice has also received a memorandum on its model demonstrating their validity and legitimacy from Ropes & Gray LLP, a preeminent global law firm, with more than 1200 legal professionals serving clients in business, technology, and government. Something that goes completely contrary to the street level defamation and innuendo our unnamed pharma giant has resorted to.
We do not have to accept the things we are not ok with, and that is where change and innovation take off. And while I am saddened to see such a poor reaction from such a large company, I am also convinced that Prescriber's Choice is on the right track to fixing inefficiencies in our healthcare system.
Progress is impossible without change and healthcare is due for progress. What more noble cause could a movement represent than to enhance patient understanding, increase compliance and improve outcomes? It's time we put needs before profits and see our healthcare system thrive. As we go forward we should expect more backlash from the old guard as positive change comes about.
Contact:
Anthony Phillips
[email protected]
888-510-8009
SOURCE Physician Dispensing Association
Share this article