Health Service Online has published a study called "Variation in Drug Prices at Pharmacies: Are Drug Prices Higher in Poor Areas," by Walid F. Gellad.
In response, Bruce T. Roberts, RPh, National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) executive vice president and CEO, issued the following statement.
"The study by Dr. Walid Gellad is helpful in raising awareness about the variation in prescription drug prices between wealthier and poorer neighborhoods in Florida, but unfortunately misses the mark in many ways. For example, more than 90 percent of prescription drug prices are set by large pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) with no ability for community pharmacies to negotiate, so these small businesses literally can't influence what their patients pay. In addition, underserved and rural communities often have a higher percentage of Medicaid and Medicare patients, making the number of cash prescriptions minimal. On a related note, using 'U&C' (usual and customary) as the data point for measuring cash pricing in the study is antiquated. In reality, U&C was an appropriate indicator decades ago when the majority of prescriptions were paid by cash; however that's now the exception rather than the rule."