The
debate rages over which option provides the better experience: pharmacy
filled-and-delivered prescription drugs, or mail-order systems. Generally,
research has shown that more patients prefer to get their drugs through a
retail pharmacy than by mail.
However,
when it comes to who’s saving who more money, two new studies suggest that mail
order wins that one hands down.
The
thumbs up for mail order come from two analyses: One by Centers for Medicare
& Medicaid Services, another by Kaiser Permanente and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
The former analysis compares mail-service pharmacies and retail
pharmacies in Medicare
Part D claims,
while the latter looks specifically at the experiences of patients with
diabetes. The Medicare Part D “finds that mail-service pharmacies have lower
overall costs,” reported the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association.
“CMS’
data confirms what consumers have known for years: mail-service pharmacies
offer a better deal than drugstores in Medicare Part D. This is unwelcome news
for drugstore lobbyists who want new regulations on their more affordable
competitors,” said PCMA President and CEO Mark Merritt.
When
CMS looked at generic drugs only, the cost advantage via mail order was 13
percent compared to pharmacy prices. Click here for the full story...
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