PillPack Puts Pressure on Express Scripts in Pharmacy Dispute
Summary
The big company is Express Scripts, a St. Louis-based pharmacy benefit manager that serves health insurance plans and corporations that pay for consumers’ medications.Now, Express Scripts says it’s terminating the contract at the end of April, and PillPack is fighting back with a public campaign and website to draw attention and put some consumer pressure on the $100-billion company.“By the time someone becomes a real threat, they try to block or eliminate them.” The move will affect “thousands of customers” and roughly one-third of PillPack’s users, Parker says.“But they’re choosing their interest over their consumers’ interest.” He adds that his team is looking into legal options, but “it’s a last resort.” [Updated with Express Scripts comments in next two paragraphs—Eds.]“We started the company to make stuff easier for people who’ve had a hard time and haven’t had a good experience” with managing medications, Parker says.