WVPA Executive Director Richard Stevens has been active representing the interests of independent pharmacies in West Virginia. Below are some the actions he has taken legislatively as well as with government agencies and before circuit courts in efforts to preserve the interests of pharmacies.
He influenced lobbied lawmakers to pass a law prohibiting insurance companies from requiring their policyholders to use mail order pharmacies.
He also influenced the Legislature to pass a law prohibiting a pharmacy to act as the exclusive provider of prescription drug products whereby in any way the public is denied, limited or influenced in selecting pharmacist care or counseling.
Stevens also influenced Medicaid to implement policy requiring its pharmacy benefit managers to review and update drug prices every seven days.
He succeeded in encouraging Medicaid to require pharmacy benefit managers to disclose to pharmacies sources for calculating prices of prescription drugs.
Stevens influenced the Insurance Commission to regulate pharmacy benefit managers as “third party administrators.”
He succeeded in influencing the Bureau for Medical Services not to endorse a prescription drug card identifying major chain pharmacies as sole vendor of prescription drug cards. The card was to be mailed over 300,000 West Virginia seniors.
Stevens testified in Circuit Court opposing plaintiff attorneys requiring pharmacies to submit volumes of patient health information. Plaintiff attorneys intended to use the information to bring suits against pharmacies.
He filed documents with the Circuit Court supporting independent pharmacies suit against a major chain for violations of West Virginia pharmacy law. The WV Supreme Court of Appeals ruled independent pharmacies bringing the suit would have to go to “arbitration” in Phoenix, Arizona, because of the contract signed by pharmacies and their pharmacy services administrative organizations (PSAOs).
