September 2024 survey of independent pharmacy owners/managers

1. In July 23 testimony on Capitol Hill, executives from Express Scripts, CVS Caremark, and OptumRx made several questionable claims about their interactions with patients and unaffiliated pharmacies. Express Scripts’ president, for example, said that “pharmacies can always redline a contract back to us and negotiate.” Prior to July 23, were you ever successful at redlining and negotiating contracts with Express Scripts? 

• Yes
• No
• I can’t recall

2. Since July 23, have you been successful at redlining and negotiating contracts with Express Scripts?

• Yes
• No
• I can’t recall

3. Have you finalized your contracts for participation in CY25 Medicare Part D pharmacy networks?

• Yes, I have finalized all my CY25 Part D contracts and know which plans I will be participating in.
• No, I have not finalized all my CY25 Part D contracts and do not know which plans I will be participating in.

4. Are you experiencing shortages or backorders of ADHD medications?

• Yes
• No

5. Regarding GLP-1 agonists:

• I stock and sell them.
• I stock and sell them but am considering stopping altogether.
• I used to stock and sell them but have stopped altogether.
• I have never stocked and sold them.

If you do dispense GLP-1 agonists, do you lose money dispensing them?

• Yes
• No

If yes, are you experiencing shortages or backorders of any of the GLP-1 agonists?

• Yes
• No

If you do not dispense GLP-1 agonists, why not? Select all that apply. 

• Low or underwater reimbursements
• Shortage/access issues
• Other - Write In Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.

7. If your business was disrupted by the cyberattack on Change Healthcare earlier this year, do you still have unpaid vaccine or other professional service claims?

• Yes, and I lost income.
• No, I was able to submit claims via alternate vendor or waited out the disruption.
• No, I was minimally affected by the disruption.
• Unsure

8. Did you cut payroll or discretionary expenses in 2023 to cover 2023 DIR fees assessed earlier this year? Check all that apply.

• Reduced payroll
• Reduced discretionary expenses
• Increased cash on hand
• Obtained financing
• Escrow account
• Other - Write In Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.

9. CMS recently released the negotiated prices of the first 10 drugs in the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, which begins Jan. 1, 2026. Under this program, pharmacies will likely be waiting over 30 days for the manufacturer to refund payments, and the average pharmacy will have to float over $27,000 every month waiting to be made whole from manufacturer refund payments. Does this effect your decision continue to stock these drugs? 

• Yes, I am strongly considering not stocking these drugs.
• Yes, I am somewhat considering not stocking these drugs.
• No, I will continue to stock these drugs.

10. Are you having a difficult time filling open staff positions?

• Yes
• No

11. Please tell us which positions are most difficult to fill. Check all that apply.

• Pharmacist
• Pharmacy technician
• Clerk, front-end staff
• Delivery driver
• Other - Write In Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.

12. What actions are you taking to address staff shortages? Check all that apply.

• Increase wages
• Provide flexible work hours
• Provide better benefits
• Offer current employees more hours
• Other - Write In Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.