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Golden Buckeye Program Up and Running

Card Gets Mixed Reviews From Pharmacists

Golden Buckeye Program Up and Running

Pharmacists are giving the Golden Buckeye Card mixed reviews. Some callers tell us that their own prices, in some cases, are lower. That is what OPA predicted with ANY central price-fixing arrangement by the government. However, that also could indicate that the Golden Buckeye card has provided a more reasonable pharmacist payment than some of the other cards. This is the ONLY card where your pharmacy receives 5 percent of any rebate pushed through to the customer. OPA will also be able to lobby to remove the 75-cent processing fee, which we believe will happen next spring, after the cost of the initial printing of cards has been covered.

We need to hear from you about your experiences with the card. Is the system working properly? Are the prices staying up-to-date (they are supposed to update prices daily, in contrast to the proposed “Ohio’s Best Rx” program, that increase only monthly.) Let us know if you receive rebate payments on medications, since that was supposed to be a positive benefit. Please call Kelly Vyzral at the OPA office at 614.798.0037 or email kvyzral@ohiopharmacists.org with your Golden Buckeye card experiences.

Overall, the majority of pharmacists have said the system seems to be operating, but is cutting into reimbursement. We will be lobbying to be sure that your concerns are heard as this program matures. We appreciate the fact that Member Health sent a second mailing listing ALL participating pharmacies, after getting criticism from OPA for only listing chains. That good-faith effort is more than we’ve seen from the others providing prescription drug coverage.

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