Change.org Petition Update (JUL 3, 2022) — Hello, supporters!
For those who are new, I advocate for patient choice in pharmacy, to improve the conditions of all pharmacies and better handling of medications shipped by mail.
To our supporters, please submit your photos or stories about issues with mail order pharmacy, including photos of medications that have been shipped without protection in the middle of the summer heat as trucks and mailboxes soar to 120-170 degrees. You may email these to loretta@uniteforsafemedications.com
I have an opportunity to share the stories and concerns with a larger entity. I would say more, but I fear that the billion-dollar corporations or their lobbyists would destroy this opportunity if I posted publicly. If you share your story, I can keep personal identifying details private and keep them anonymous to the public if requested.
State Boards of Pharmacy and the FDA do not regulate the temperatures as many are forced to mail order. Many lives are at risk as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) such as Optum RX, CVS Caremark, and Express Scripts merged with their own mail order pharmacies and insurance companies. These companies often force or steer patients to their own pharmacies and remove safe and local access.
Secondly, as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) begins to investigate the monopolistic actions of PBMs, Chairperson Lina Khan gave a critical message during a discussion about pharmacy benefit managers. Prior to reading her quoted message below, please be aware that our legislators on all sides take money from these corporations. Despite the uphill battle, I have hope that as we unite, patients will win. Anything that you can do to help support this cause is appreciated. Sharing your story can save lives.
"It's so critical to remember that the current structure of the market and the current structure of the industry and the types of business practices that occur, none of this is inevitable or some inexorable force of nature.
All of these features of our current system are the results of policy choices and legal decisions that were made by people including officials at the FTC and the antitrust division but also public officials who are elected and directly accountable to you, so it was policy choices that permitted PBMs to merge with one another and created a more concentrated market. It was policy choices that permitted PBMs to vertically merge with health insurance companies on one side and specialty (including mail order) and retail pharmacies on the other side which many have noted can create a sharp conflict of interest... There's nothing inevitable about the current structure of the market or the current business practices that occur or are permitted. These are all the results of policy and legal choices that were made by public officials and that can also be remade by public officials through the democratic process."
The FTC's investigation is not enough to stop the abuses by these corporations. This battle will take many to fight against this corrupt system that placed corporate profits over America's safe access to pharmacies and medications in the first place. It's critical that you also speak to your elected officials and hold them accountable.
I appreciate your support!