By Cheryl Powell
Beacon Journal medical writer
Published on Saturday, Feb 06, 2010
A new pharmacy sponsored by Summit County is opening Monday in downtown Akron.
The county is contracting with Express Med Pharmacy Services of Monaca, Pa., for a first-of-its-kind partnership in the state to run a government-affiliated retail pharmacy.
The store is called scripts, short for ''Summit County regionally inclusive pharmaceutical treatment source.''
The pharmacy, in a county-owned building at 191 S. Main St., will be open to the general public from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
But the venture really is targeted at the county's more than 3,000 workers.
The goal is to reduce prescription drug costs for the county, which will encourage — but not require — its employees to fill prescriptions at the scripts pharmacy.
''We thought it would be a nice fit to work with a local county government to help improve . . . the management of their pharmacy benefit,'' Express Med President Jeff Liberati said. ''There's a true partnership developed, as opposed to just a vendor-provider relationship.''
The county is developing incentives to encourage county employees to use the new pharmacy, said Ken Jones, the county's director of insurance.
For example, employees will be able to get a 90-day supply for two months' worth of co-pays instead of three if they fill prescriptions at the scripts store or through Express Med's mail-order pharmacy.
''It's the same thing you do in the community setting,'' said pharmacy manager Rich Stefanacci, who worked as a pharmacist at Goodyear's medical
center before it closed. ''I don't want them to feel forced to come. I want them to view this as the place to get their medication with all the trust they have in their neighborhood pharmacy.''
Express Med is under contract to manage the prescription drug benefits for county employees.
The county pays Express Med $3.75 for each prescription filled anywhere by a county employee. In exchange, Express Med gives the county 100 percent of the manufacturer rebates and doesn't mark up the cost of the medication.
Under the deal, the county also will get 30 percent of the net profits from scripts, Jones said.
The money will be used to offset the cost of providing health insurance for the county's 3,000 employees, he said.
The deal has been criticized by some in the pharmacy industry for pulling away business from established pharmacies that already are struggling because of low reimbursement rates and prescription costs.
But Jones said the county-affiliated store ''is not about taking money out of local pharmacies.''
''It's about being prudent with the taxpayers' money and providing benefits for our employees,'' he said.
The county spends between $7 million and $10 million annually on prescription drugs. County officials have estimated those costs could be reduced by $600,000 to $700,000 through the savings and profit-sharing.
City governments throughout Summit County eventually could save through the pharmacy if they opt to join with the county for their employee benefits, Jones said.
Some of the funds generated through the venture also could be earmarked to help safety-net medical providers that serve uninsured residents, Jones said.
In addition, the county wants to use the scripts location to start a reclaimed medicine program to provide low-cost prescription drugs for needy residents.
An approved pharmacy can accept and then distribute unused medications that are individually packaged for use in nursing homes and other settings, Stefanacci said.
You can reach the pharmacy at 330-761-1000.
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or chpowell@thebeaconjournal.com.
