WASHINGTON, DC — In Case You Missed It: A Columbus Dispatch article highlighted U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown’s (D-OH) work securing a commitment from Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), to make it easier for community pharmacies to lower drug prices for Ohioans by addressing direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees. These fees, which are often levied on community pharmacies retroactively by middlemen companies known as Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), increase the cost of prescription drugs for older Ohioans at the pharmacy counter and make it harder for local pharmacies in Ohio to serve their communities.

“Despite years of unfulfilled promises and plans to pare Americans' prescription drug prices, Sen. Sherrod Brown says this time it's different,” wrote Darrel Rowland for the Dispatch.

Brown has led efforts in the Senate to lower drug prices and increase transparency with pharmacy benefit managers and to support community pharmacies and the patients they serve. In some cases, these fees from PBMs can be so high small pharmacies can go out of business. According to Ernest Boyd, the Executive Director of the Ohio Pharmacists Association, over the last two years, 250 independent pharmacies in Ohio have closed.

Read the Dispatch’s full article HERE or an excerpt below:

Brown: 'This is the first time we are close to getting real action' to cut drug prices

By: Darrel Rowland 

January 5, 2022

Despite years of unfulfilled promises and plans to pare Americans' prescription drug prices, Sen. Sherrod Brown says this time it's different.

"I understand the skepticism," the Ohioan said during a press call Wednesday. "I know it's frustrating to the public. They hear politicians say they're going to work to cut drug prices. Well, this is the first time we are close to getting real action."

His comments stemmed from a pre-Christmas announcement by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services of a probe of controversial fees charged by pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs — middlemen in the drug supply chain — in response to requests from Brown and other Democratic senators.

The move could result in savings of $7 billion to $9 billion, Brown said.

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Click here to read the full story.

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