Pharmacists and a Wapello County official are urging Iowa legislators to investigate what they call the “little known middle man” that’s reaping profits from prescription drug sales.
Wapello County Supervisor Jerry Parker says the county is saving money now by buying medications for county jail inmates directly from the local pharmacy — but Parker says they haven’t been able to end the contract with the prescription benefit manager for all county employees.
Parker says there’s no reason to think many other Iowa counties, cities and school districts face a similar financial fate.

Rich Ponesse , a senior director at C-V-S Caremark, told lawmakers there is no “magic formula” and it is the customers who sign the benefit contracts who decide what payments will be made to his company.

It’s unclear what the House committee may choose to do next.
Earlier this month, insurance regulators in the state of Ohio forbid insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers from enforcing contracts that prevented pharmacists from telling patients if a lower-cost option was available for a prescription.