u/Coohenn

There's a lot of current debate about prescription drug prices. Most of it seems to focused on PBMs, rebates and transparency. Those are some issues but drug manufacturers set the initial prices for the medicines.

I'm interested on hearing from people who work in healthcare or who have dealt this with. Should the policymakers put the most attention on manufacturer prices, PBM practices or insurance coverage, if their goal is to lower what patients pay?

I came across this CMS update about PBMs publicly comparing their negotiated drug prices with prices available through TrumpRx.

https://x.com/DrOzCMS/status/2087957959427203173

I think it's good to have the data more visible.

PBMs have a lot of negotiating power over prescription drugs, and if that  power  can help bring prices down, I’d rather see those savings be more transparent.

At the same time, Medicare coverage can already provide a better price depending on the plan and medication. This doesn't have to be an either/or situation.

Being able to see the different prices side by side would make it easier to understand where the savings are actually coming from and what option provides the best value.

More transparency and more competition around prescription prices can only help patients make better decisions.

I've been seeing more stories about pharmacies closing over the past year, and it made me wonder where people draw the line between a business problem and a healthcare problem.

Many people can probably drive a little further or easily switch to mail order if the closest pharmacy closes. That probably isn't the case for everyone, though. Individuals who rely on regular prescription drugs, have chronic illnesses, or are older may have quite different experiences.

Do you think pharmacy closures are mostly just part of the changing retail landscape, or do they eventually become a broader public health concern? If you think there's a tipping point, what does that look like?

I've been hearing about more Walgreens store closures lately, and it's gotten me wondering what it's actually like for the people affected.

If your local Walgreens closed, what happened afterward? Was transferring your prescriptions easier than you expected, or was it more of a hassle? Did you end up switching to another Walgreens, or did you move your prescriptions to a different pharmacy?

I'm just curious what the transition was like, both from a customer's perspective and for anyone who worked at a store that closed.

I've come across a few stories about Walgreens store closures lately, and it got me wondering what it's like from the pharmacy side.

For those of you who worked at a location that closed, what was it like for your team and your patients? Were the prescription transfers relatively smooth or did they create a lot of extra work? Did most patients stay within Walgreens, or did many end up transferring to a different pharmacy?

I know there are a lot of business reasons why stores close, but I'm interested in hearing from people who actually went through the transition. What was it like?