PUTTcast | Pharmacists United for Truth and Transparency

Independent pharmacies are being put through the wringer, especially with Medicare - but what if they could take back their power?   Listen in as Monique Whitney hosts a serious discussion with PUTT Board President Deborah Keaveny & the founder of WayPointRx’s Pharmacy Insurance Group Ben Coakley on why and how pharmacies can (and should!) get paid to do what they’re already doing - counseling...

What happens when 2 of social media’s leading patient advocates get together on the PUTTcast? (spoiler alert: it involves a lot of great information!) Listen in as Monique Whitney is joined by patient advocacy powerhouses Beth Waldron and Loretta Boesing for a discussion on medication access issues, formularies, and even the pharmacy business model - public pressure for PBM reform can only increas...

TransparencyRx is a coalition of PBMs that do NOT align with the evil acronym! Listen in as PUTTcast co-hosts Monique Whitney and Lauren Young are joined by TransparencyRx founder and Managing Director, Joe Shields and APCI General Counsel, Greg Reybold, for an honest discussion on what a transparent pass-through PBM really is (and is not!), and why the coalition fully supports reform legislation...

From DIR fees, hangovers and lawsuits, to “delinking” legislation, state-level victories, and federal agency scorecards - join co-hosts Monique Whitney and Lauren Young as they break down PBM reform in the new year, how it can affect independent pharmacies, and how it would benefit everyone.   Special Guests: Greg Reybold, General Counsel, APCI & Steve Moore, Owner, Condo Pharmacy

Dr. Dan Hussar, Dean Emeritus, Remington Professor Emeritus, & author of  The Pharmacist Activist  joins the PUTTcast this month to share his thoughts on the evolution of pharmacy & pharmacy education, present “moral injuries” to the industry, and why, according to him, independent pharmacists are the heart and soul of the pharmacy profession.

The PBM Express Scripts recently asked to convene an independent pharmacy advisory group to determine how PBMs could be better “partners” with independent pharmacies - PUTT responded with a comprehensive letter outlining many of the issues pharmacies confront in their daily dealings with PBM “partnerships”... this month, the PUTTcast is taking that conversation a step further.   Join Monique Whitn...

A lawyer is a lawyer… right? Wrong. Pharmacy law is one of the most complex areas of law in the United States. But what does that have to do with advocacy? Or running an independent pharmacy?   Join Monique Whitney as she talks pharmacy law, its intricacies, and how it relates to advocacy with pharmacy legal gurus Mark Boesen & Allyson Snow of Boesen & Snow law firm . If you have an intere...

What does the IRA really achieve when it comes to prescription medications? What are its effects on independent pharmacies, the 340B program, or even DIR fees? What parts of the equation are missing, and what inclusions would make the IRA better for everyone?   Listen in as PUTTcast hosts Monique Whitney and Lauren Young take a deep dive into the answers to these questions and many more with speci...

The triangle of care that should exist between patients, pharmacists & physicians has been under deadly fire from healthcare private corporatization for decades. As independent pharmacy healthcare providers, is there a way to stem the bleeding?   This month’s special guest Jeffrey Lewis, President and CEO of the Legacy Health Endowment and the EMC Health Foundation, might just have one. Both L...

With more than 30 bills in progress this session at the federal level alone, PBM reform is barreling down the legislative tracks - but what's the best way to get legislation and enforcement across the finish line? Listen in as PUTT Executive Director, Monique Whitney, and Board Vice President, Lauren Young dive into the past, present, and (possible) future of PBM reform, who's getting it done, and...

Legislative season may be winding down, but advocates are ramping up for education season!   Listen in as PUTTcast hosts Monique Whitney and Lauren Young welcome advocacy guru AIDS Healthcare Foundation's Associate Director of Advocacy, John Farina to the mic. From creative campaigns to the importance of educating legislative staff - effective advocacy never sleeps!

From pharmacy software to pharmacies themselves - the thing that sets independently owned small business healthcare apart from multi billion dollar corporations is an inextinguishable passion for their patients.    Listen in as co-hosts Monique Whitney and Lauren Young take a deep dive into what it takes to make independent pharmacy successful with special guests Kevin Minassian & Sarah Callioras...

PBMs make it a habit to use PSAOs as a scapegoat for a variety of issues in pharmacy - but what really is a PSAO?  Listen in as Monique Whitney, speaks with independent pharmacy owner and former APA CEO, Scott Pace, and EPIC VP of Network Development, Gretta Ginsteinner. It's a frank discussion about what PSAOs are, what they are not, and why dispelling the myths and misinformation is so important...

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures , 171 pieces of PBM legislation have been filed in 40 states this session. Listen in as PUTT Executive Director Monique Whitney, APRx VP of Government Affairs Michael Wright, and PUTT Board VP Lauren Young, discuss what's in the hopper, on the horizon, and why continuing to advocate throughout legislation's dynamic process is so important.

Through jubilant wins and gut punching losses, the pharmacists of New York never give up. Listen in as PUTTcast host Lauren Young digs into the upcoming positive changes under New York's new Medicaid carve out, and PSSNY's inexhaustible fight to get it across the finish line.   Special Guests: Heather Ferrarese, President, Pharmacists Society of the State of New York Steve Moore, Owner, Condo Phar...

What happens when the President of the Infusion Access Foundation and the Arizona Advocacy Chair of the American Diabetes Association discuss PBM interference in patient care with PUTTcast host Monique Whitney? An enlightening discussion on the science of biologics, the fake math behind PBM cost-savings claims, and how the PBM "legalized supply chain mafia" turns patients into collateral damage in...

From safety issues to retaliatory tactics against their own employees, our nation's largest chain pharmacies are steadily dropping in reputation, putting their pharmacists and pharmacy staff in the increasingly precarious position of good people trapped in an awful situation.   Listen in as PUTTcast host Monique Whitney speaks with Anais Webster Mennuti and Kim Kessler from the independent documen...

Independent pharmacies in the 340B program can encounter areas of deeply gratifying patient care and intensely daunting confusion in a single breath - but is it possible to make sense of the system?   Listen in as PUTTcast host Monique Whitney engages in a frank discussion on the intricacies, benefits, and misconceptions of the 340B program with Secure340B experts Julie Crozier and Amanda Gaddy. I...

From forced mail-order medication dangers to fail-first therapy requirements, non-medical medication switching, complaint filing confusion, high drug prices, and even coverage denials; most patients' issues with U.S. healthcare have one thing in common - PBMs. Listen in as co-hosts Monique Whitney & Scott Newman speak with powerhouse patient advocates Beth Waldron & Loretta Boesing. They'll discus...

Solid PR practices call for changing the conversation to one's advantage, but PCMA's recent OpEds based on a paid-for white paper are more than suspect.  Listen in as lobbyist & managing partner of Public Policy Partners Meghaen Della'Artino, and General Counsel for American Pharmacies Miguel Rodriguez, speak with PUTTcast host Monique Whitney about strategy, the current political arena, and how t...

Finding Your Way: a Conversation with Dr. David Marley, PharmD   PUTT founder Dave Marley's recently released book is an exploration of his own extraordinary life. Listen in on this incredibly honest discussion that twists and turns through business ownership, addiction, pharmacy, family, and one man's journey that navigated it all.   Book: Finding Your Way by Dr. David Marley, PharmD

The force to align interests in prescription drug reform is greater than the status quo.   Every legislator, employer, union representative, and patient has questions and worries about prescription drug pricing. Listen in as PUTTcast host Monique Whitney discusses drug pricing, legislation, PBM tactics, and everything in between with Mark Blume, Executive Director of union-based America's Agenda a...

How does pharmacy translate into politics? Listen in as our hosts Monique Whitney and PUTT board member Oliver Lackey chat with Oklahoma's Chris Schiller - the newest pharmacist vying for a Congressional seat.  Learn about "pharmacy politics", and the reasons why getting involved and educating our legislators on the real issues in healthcare are so critically important. In this Episode: Monique Wh...

The unethical business practices by PBMs when it comes to our nation's seniors run the gamut from unreasonable fees and metrics to underhanded pricing models and what could easily be considered larceny against taxpayers. Join PUTTcast co-hosts Monique Whitney and Lauren Young, with special guests Tim Hamrick and Greg Reybold of APCI to discuss the results of their explosive 3Axis study, possible o...

PUTTcast Episode 23 Where's the PATIENT in PBM Equations? Join PUTTcast hosts Monique Whitney and Scott Newman for an eye-opening conversation on the world of Oncology - where pharmacy benefit manager tactics cost patients far more than just their hard-earned dollars.  Special Guest: Ricky Newton, CFO, COO, Community Oncology Alliance