Pharmacy Benefits, Rx Law, Career Development - Week Incoming 3/12/23

?? Top o' the weekend to you!

This week, we're inching closer to spring and yes, St. Patrick's Day!

But, after being out of town last week and weekend (in Dallas meeting with the team and U of FL for POP weekend) and missing the weekly update, let's get to it as we have a lot o' ground to cover when it comes to pharmacy benefits, pharmacy law and career development for week incoming 3/12/23:

Pharmacy Benefits

• ?? Independent pharmacies - Think Green, not Pink - let's bring you some luck! Pink's Pharmacy closed recently in NJ. It had been around for decades. I fear that more independent pharmacies are going to be closing in the next year as well. The DIR fees going to the point of sale on 1/1/24 along with retrospective 2023 will devastate many pharmacies, including independent pharmacies for Medicare Part D. (You can read more about it here from my friends over at Mazine Law.) One way out is to start generating extra cash. I think based upon our new program, we can help with that over at Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, PBC. If you're a PIC or pharmacy owner, just fill out this form to learn more, and we'll be in touch.
• ?? Our first brand drug launch at CostPlusDrugs.com - If you missed it, Tirosint (levothyroxine sodium) capsules are now our first official brand drug at CPD.com! Thanks to IBSA for the partnership. This is right behind the partnership we have with Roche Diabetes Care as well. More to come! BTW, we have jobs, and shoutout to my sisters of other misters at work this week - celebrating international women's day!

• ?? PBM Rebrand to PBC? Don't get confused - Apparently, PBMs (pharmacy benefit managers) are attempting to relabel themselves as pharmacy benefit companies or PBCs. Also, Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company is a public benefit corporation, or PBC--which is a legal entity type. Totally different things, which unfortunately have the same acronyms. Don't let these vegetable soup lettering changes fool you, either. They are not the same. More on what's up with this PR strategy here.
• ?? Literally, the scariest thing I saw on the internet this week. Just when you thought the big carriers couldn't get more vertical...

Pharmacy Law

• ?? APhA 2023, Arizona - see you there?
• ?? ASPL - Call for Proposals season is here! The American Society for Pharmacy Law has a call for proposals out for its 2023 Annual Meeting, which will be November 2-5, 2023 in San Antonio, TX. Topic ideas and how to register your speaking proposal is at this link, or you can go to https://www.aspl.org/annual-conference. Call is open until 3/31/23 and you do not need to be a member to submit a proposal.
• ?? DASPL, Class II - Also on the ASPL front, it appears that DASPL Class II will be taking applications in the near future, and the class will meet at ASPL's 2023 annual conference for the first time, and wrap up the class at our 2024 annual meeting. More to come here, but pencil us in if you've been keeping your eyes on this program, or bookmark and check https://www.aspl.org/daspl.
• The Dobbs Disaster, cont. - more fallout from the Dobbs SCOTUS decision. How did we get here, ladies?
• 14 Days of Free Drug - ok? Interesting OIG advisory opinion here on whether or not pharma companies may provide 14 days of treatment for free during delays in coverage determination.

Career Development

• ?? Buckle up: It's a travel, travel world again - I have a friend going abroad soon, who hasn't had the joy (and the agony) of traveling by plane too much for work - and so, after 6 plane rides just last week, she thought I should start talking travel, so here are a few tips - enjoy.
• What would healthcare look like - if it was designed by women? A thought provoking-stream of ideas here from LinkedIn, just in time for #InternationalWomensDay 2023 and women's history month. Join the conversation!
• ?? What's your Unicorn Space? I dragged this book around me while on said planes last week, and I'll admit, that while the first part of the book didn't resonate so much for me, it was the actual unearthing of what one's Unicorn Space is that did. What is yours? If you don't know what a Unicorn Space is, you might want to grab a copy of this book yourself from the library or your local bookstore and hop on it. It's important. I also think a Unicorn Space is a big antidote for burnout. That and I want to go to a unicorn space convention to get even more ideas!

Last - thanks for the follows. Sometime recently I hit 23,000. I'm just thrilled that this content is helpful and useful here at LinkedIn for followers and others.

That's all I have for this week! Have a great week, and a happy St. Patrick's Day! ??

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Dr. Erin L. Albert is VP of Pharmacy Relations and Chief Privacy Officer at Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, PBC. The opinions above are hers alone, and not necessarily those of MCCPDC. If you'd prefer to listen to the newsletter instead, tune in on Saturday mornings at 9 am ET for an audio live stream from Dr. Albert.