PARD and Keystone join PUTT in a silent protest during a PBM presentation at the FTC workshop on PBMs and Healthcare Costs.
Mid-morning as the PBM session kicked off – and at the precise moment Mark Merritt, President and CEO of the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, began speaking – the “Dirty Half Dozen” (as they called themselves) moved into action.
They donned gags. And wore them throughout Merritt’s presentation, who couldn’t help but notice.
“We were unwilling to stand by and let the conversation be ‘business as usual’ for the PBMs,” said PUTT president Teresa Stickler. “We decided to demonstrate in the most literal way possible that PBMs are forcing us to remain silent on issues of critical importance to patient care and the rising costs of prescription medicine. The FTC workshop was our best opportunity to be heard, even though we are prohibited from speaking out.”
The protest drew a range of reactions from other attendees, many amused and unable to contain their laughter, some questioning the motive behind the demonstration.
“This is a silent protest that spoke VOLUMES,” said PUTT Board member Dawn Butterfield. “Every day pharmacists are are gagged by PBMs. Pharmacists, who are considered among the most trusted health professionals, are NOT able to share a lower cost alternative, NOT able to tell the patient when it’s to their advantage not to use their prescription drug plan and NOT able to consult with plan sponsors on the hundreds of thousands of dollars they could be saving on plan prescriptions. . That’s our world NOW, but it doesn’t have to be. We can and will be heard on these issues – even if we can’t speak!”
