With the promise of lower costs, pharmacy benefit managers have encouraged employers to adopt mail-order pharmacy services, but some organizations are realizing they are now spending more for medical and drug benefits.
Unity Care NW, a nonprofit health clinic in Washington, predicts health benefits for its 365 employees and their family members will increase by 25% to more than $3 million in 2024, according to the Journal.
In some cases, markups were 35 times higher with the mail-order prescription service than other pharmacies.
By stocking larger quantities of medications and selling 90-day fills, mail-order pharmacies market themselves as cost-savers. But generic prescriptions dispensed at these companies are on average three times more expensive than bricks-and-mortar pharmacies, according to data from healthcare research firm 3 Axis Advisors.
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