This past summer, PP&P performed its annual survey of generic drug purchasing wherein we asked about factors that impact budgeting, motivations for off-contract purchasing, gray market policies, number of shortages experienced, and budget projections. We also invited respondents to comment freely on any challenges or issues related to generics acquisition and use. In what will come as no surprise to any hospital pharmacy director, many described wide-ranging and, in some cases, significant inflation in drug prices, in addition to difficulty accessing certain drugs.

Although some people enjoy saying “I told you so,” rarely does it apply with any true satisfaction in the health care setting. As recent, dramatic events have demonstrated to the general public—not the least of which include the highly publicized event wherein Turing Pharmaceuticals raised the price of its recently acquired drug, Daraprim, by some 5,500 percent, or the potentially more pervasive actions involving Valeant Pharmaceuticals’ specialty pharmacy distribution system—price gouging is a long-standing, infuriating problem for hospital pharmacies and the patients they serve.

Needless to say, it is our hope that these recently publicized events continue to shed light on a significant problem that has received scant federal remediation.

As always, if you have had success overcoming issues related to price gouging and drug purchasing, please drop us a note and let us know. Pharmacy Purchasing & Products will continue to address this ongoing issue and help you find ways to secure medication acquisition moving forward.

All the best,

R. Mitchell Halvorsen
Publisher
Rmh@ridgewoodmedia.com