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Jan
30

Physician dispensers are getting desperate

Oh this is getting fun!

Earlier this week WorkCompCentral published a column ostensibly written by a physician attacking me for exposing the dangers, both physical and financial, inherent in physician dispensing of repackaged drugs.  I say ostensibly because the column reads like it was ghost-written by one of the industry’s shills, perhaps one of Ron Sachs’ interns. (Ron’s the guy physician dispensing company AHCS hired to call reporters to tell them they were suing me).

By the way, I LOVED the column.

It was an amazing combination of pronouncements from an arrogant-beyond-belief doctor, with a really nasty and personal attack on me, my motives, and my ethics.

Alas, it was so poorly done, with so many logical fallacies and nonsensical arguments based on nothing more than fact-free opinion that I can’t believe a real doctor actually wrote it.  After all, doctors are supposed to believe in science; you know, research, medical evidence, facts, logic supported by data – those kind of things.  Yet the column didn’t have any of those, instead it was a mishmash of unsupported claims based on “our experience”, and never directly addressed the key issues I raised in my piece, e.g. retail pharmacies have much more complete access to patient data, and docs who dispense don’t.

(btw, a Summit on Physician Dispensing will be held in Boston on February 25/26.  Sponsored by PMSI and Progressive Solutions, the Summit is free of charge and is held the day before WCRI’s annual conference – in the same hotel.  This is an invite-only event; there are a few slots open.  Email me at jpadudaAThealthstrategyassocDOTcom for details.

The ostensible author, one Dr Rafael Miguel, offered not a single shred of evidence to support his claims of better outcomes and enhanced quality of care. When not denigrating pharmacists, mischaracterizing my statements, and accusing me of profiting from defeating physician dispensers (more on that below), Dr Miguel/the intern hid the total lack of data supporting his claims behind the omnipotence of the god in the white coat, as if his title is proof enough and we non-physicians should meekly listen and obey.

You can tell the physician dispensing industry is in desperate straits when they use surrogates to question the motives of their opponents, fabricating reasons why anyone would dare interfere with their ability to suck money out of taxpayers and employers by charging outrageous amounts for the drugs they prescribe – and dispense – to workers’ comp claimants.

That’s known as “diversion”; when you can’t refute a critic, yell really loud about what a bad person they are.

Well, let’s look at Dr Miguel.

Dr Miguel is a dispensing physician using Rx Development Associates.  A quick check of their website reveals frequent mention of one of the key benefits of physician dispensing; additional revenue for the physician.  RxDA also touts how easy it is to sign up and use their system to generate big profits, “without interrupting or burdening staff members.”  That’s in direct conflict with Dr Miguel’s assertion that physicians “must recover the costs and time to provide this service to workers compensation patients.”

Let’s look at Dr Miguel’s scripts.  He’s dispensed fluoxetine, etodolac, omeprazole, and gabapentin, among other meds. One of those scripts, omeprazole, is commonly used for heartburn.  Omeprazole, also known as Prilosec, can be bought over the counter for about a buck a pill; Dr Miguel charged about $10  pill.  That’s not opinion or hyperbole, it’s fact.  Miguel charged about ten times more for the drug than it would have cost over the counter.

Dr Miguel/the intern contends docs can’t buy drugs for the same price retail pharmacies do, and that’s why they have to charge so much more.  Again, he offers no evidence of this.  In fact, if Dr Miguel had tried, he could have found repackaging companies clamoring to sell him drugs at very low prices.

Finally, allow me to address Dr Miguel/the intern’s questioning of my motives, and contention that my efforts to combat physician dispensing are “what can only be described as an attempt to fatten Mr. Padudas personal bottom line.”

  1. As I have noted many times, I am co-owner of CompPharma, an association of workers’ comp PBMs.  It makes no difference (financially) to me if  physician dispensing dies off, explodes, or just stumbles along. I don’t get a nickel more or less.
  2. My public battle with the industry and its advocates has cost me tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees not to mention hundreds of uncompensated hours.
  3. Yes, PBMs will benefit if physician dispensing ends, but I am not a PBM, nor do I own a PBM, nor do I get paid based in any way on their volume of business.
What Miguel/the intern can’t understand is some people just have principles, standards that they live by, ethics that require them to speak out when they see others doing wrong.
And physician dispensing of repackaged drugs is wrong.

 

 


3 thoughts on “Physician dispensers are getting desperate”

  1. They will say anything to defend their shady dealings.

    Sigh.

    I’ve responded to hundreds, if not more, of petitions and gotten my hopes up year after year only to have FL break my heart time and time again with lack of regulation and oversight.

    Your blog reminds me I am not alone and for that I offer you my gratitude and a fist bump for standing your ground.

    Thanks for what you do.

  2. I used to buy the idea that if the Doctor dispensed the compliance with the drug regime would increase. I tacitly supported physician dispensing until CCWC scathing report I believe it was Frank Newhauser pulled the curtain back and revealed the real story. I believe Doctors should be compensated for their work and their accomplishments . Pushing expensive non useful drugs is not the answer. Keep up the good work Joe.

  3. Doctor dispensing clearing raises costs, but this is only happening because the insurance carriers who write the WC laws do a poor job of implementing the correct fee schedule. The Insurance carriers picked the Medi-cal schedule which does not contain repackaged drugs. The Insurance carriers created the loophole because they did not do there homework when pushing the Medi-call schedule on the providers. It should also be noted that one of the functions of a PBM is to squeeze the profit from pharmacies and give it to big Pharma. Nobody spends more money on political donations and lobbying them big Pharma, yet we rarely her talk about how big Pharma is effecting the cost of medical care.

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Joe Paduda is the principal of Health Strategy Associates

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A national consulting firm specializing in managed care for workers’ compensation, group health and auto, and health care cost containment. We serve insurers, employers and health care providers.

 

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