Finally, An Organization That Is Getting The Job Done

Im not even sure where to start!

Two weeks ago, we jumped to the front of the class when the NY Times credited us with breaking the Lipitor rebate story. That lead to numerous follow-up interviews, many of which were printed this week (see all the links below). Last Friday night, the PUTT logo and website was on CBS Evening News. How do we trump that going into this week?

Trump it we did!

To start off this week, we had a PUTT member who will remain nameless to protect his contracts give us the CVS/Caremark document that described their intention to block the generic for plans THAT INCLUDED Medicare Part D. This was VERY significant because it was the first document to address rebates and Part D.

We gave that document to Sam Goldsmith at the PR firm and we immediately went to work. Sam offered it to Duff Wilson, our new friend and reporter for the NY Times. Sam told Duff he had to write it the next day or we would release to the masses. Duff took the offer, and we broke the Part D Lipitor story first! Our PUTT website server crashed for about 30 minutes after the Part D story hit the wire!!

We are now THE go to source for reporters on anything Lipitor/PBM rebate related. Ill do my best to recall who we have talked to but it included: The NY Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Forbes magazine, Associated Press, AARP, Drug Benefit News, Drug Topics, The Philadelphia Paper, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Cincinnati Business Journal, and The Flint Times.

Then, Sam got a call from Senator Max Baucus office yesterday. The Senator had just released a press release stating they were demanding all documents from the PBMs and Pfizer related to ALL rebate deals (not just Lipitor) where a brand has been promoted over a low cost generic drug. As you know, this will spill into Protonix, Nitro-Dur, Zyprexa, and Effexor XR to name a few. We now have an open communication line with the Senators office and will be providing them our entire file (rebates AND spread pricing at retail and mail).

Now for the grand finale! We have not one but two NATIONAL television shows setting up interviews scheduled for the next 2 weeks. Both studios are sending film crews around the country to speak with employers, consumers, pharmacists and PUTT people.

I am intentionally not mentioning the studios or the producers in this newsletter just in case we have any interlopers from the other side who have joined for the purpose of gaining intelligence on our activities.

So, in closing I will remind all of you how desperate we all felt in mid June of this year. It looked like we were facing the final curtain call with CCRX being sold, the PBM lobby on the offensive, and the proposed ESI/Medco deal. Here we are 6 months later, and the optimism that has carried our wonderful profession through tough times in the past has returned. As we wind down to the end of 2011, the clouds appear to be lifting and clearer skies are ahead (but there is still much to do).

We now have over 800 members and have raised almost $150,000, with over $100,000 in the bank. BUT you all need to be aware that the increased press demands have over taxed our allotted hours with the PR firm. We contracted for 30 hours per month, and Novembers hours were close to 75. At this rate, we will be spending close to $10,000 a month (plus other expenses which include website, and PR newswire releases).

We have 2 options:

1. Tell the firm to slow the train down so we dont run out of money before the end of our 1 year contract.

or

2. Come to all of you and ask for more money to keep the momentum going.

I think you know what I think we should do, but this is YOUR organization. It will be your actions with your checkbooks that determine the outcome.

I simply cannot ask those that have already given $1,000 to $2,000 to give more. What I can do is ask all of you who have not yet given with your wallet to do so now.If your store is doing $2.5 million a year or less in revenue, $500 is a reasonable amount. $2.5 to $5 million and we think $1000 is reasonable. Over $5 million and $2000 seems right. We wont accept more than $2,000 per store so that no one person thinks we owe them for their support

Contributing is as simple as getting our your credit card and going to:

http://www.truthrx.org/contribute/

Have a great weekend everyone. If you want to have some fun just Google Pharmacists United for Truth and Transparency and Lipitor to see all the articles we have been mentioned in.

Some story links below:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2011/11/30/pfizers-lipitor-how-big-pharma-blocks-reimbursement-of-generics/

http://articles.philly.com/2011-11-30/business/30458998_1_lipitor-generic-ian-read

http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/medical/treatments/story/2011-11-29/Pfizer-maneuvers-to-protect-Lipitor-from-generics/51475288/1

http://business-ethics.com/2011/11/15/2436-pfizer%E2%80%99s-latest-twist-on-%E2%80%98pay-for-delay%E2%80%99/

http://www.aarp.org/health/drugs-supplements/info-11-2011/lipitor-goes-off-patent.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/industries/3-senators-demand-pfizer-provide-documents-on-deals-for-insurers-to-block-generic-lipitor/2011/12/01/gIQApX8gHO_story.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/01/health/senators-question-plan-to-stall-generic-lipitor.html?_r=1

http://www.cnbc.com/id/45490931