Protecting affordability and access to prescription drugs in California – Capitol Weekly | Capitol Weekly

OPINION – In high school, I discovered my passion for scientific subjects. I knew I wanted to turn my passion into a goal. I found a career path in a field of healthcare where science and helping people meet: pharmacy.

During my studies, I began working as a pharmaceutical technician and quickly found fulfillment in helping patients in need, learning first-hand the value of building personal relationships.

As the pharmacist in charge at CVS Health CarePlus specialty pharmacy in San Francisco's Castro District, I now oversee our patient management program. My hardworking team of four pharmacists and 10 technicians strives to build strong personal relationships with the people we serve. I take pride in the fact that my patients know me by name and know that they can rely on our team for questions about their prescriptions and that we provide additional support as they develop their treatment plans.

Pharmacy benefit managers like CVS Health's PBM play an important role in keeping my patients' medicines affordable and accessible, but I'm increasingly concerned about potential legislation here in California that would limit the ability of PBMs to help manage costs for patients like the ones I serve.

Some provisions in SB 966 would effectively eliminate many of the mechanisms and tools used to make lower-cost insurance more accessible, resulting in disruptions in care and higher costs for unions, employers, and employees. For example, this bill could increase health care costs for small businesses and unions by limiting their ability to use high-quality, low-cost pharmacy options in their insurance plans, which in turn undermines plan sponsors' confidence that their members will visit pharmacies that meet the highest standards.

Many of the patients we care for have rare and complex diseases – including HIV, cancer and autoimmune diseases – that require specialized therapies. We research financial assistance options for patients on a daily basis, provide in-person and telephone consultations, work with physicians to ensure patients adhere to their medication regimens, and ensure that insurance continues to cover the cost of specialized medications.

Because we work in the heart of the Castro District, we primarily serve members of the LGBTQ+ community who visit our patients without an appointment. In addition, we provide mail-in care to patients throughout California and Nevada. It is incredibly rewarding to serve patients and alleviate any concerns they may have about their healthcare with a patient-centered focus without social stigma.

I remember one patient – ​​we'll call him Noah – whose complex medication regimen, including PrEP (a preventive medication to reduce the risk of HIV infection), made adherence particularly difficult. In addition, Noah expressed concerns about the stigma associated with taking PrEP.

To help ease Noah's anxiety and improve medication adherence, we organized the medications by days and times of day. We also provided detailed instructions on how and when to take each medication, as well as advice on potential drug interactions.

Additionally, we made sure not to include the drug's brand name on the shipping label to limit the possibility that someone could assume a disease based on the drug identification. For patients like Noah with chronic illnesses, small touches like this make all the difference. Noah's appreciation for our pharmacist team made the extra effort more than worthwhile.

Stories like this should not be taken for granted. I urge California lawmakers to do the right thing and create the right policy framework to enable a strong patient-pharmacist relationship and ensure patients have access to the medications they need.

Steven Wang is the pharmacist in charge at CVS Health CarePlus specialty pharmacy in San Francisco's Castro District.