Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #stoptheswitch
Most recents (4)
Dad bleed to death 5 years ago today.
I usually prefer to remember his life, but ever since I got the letter from @CVSHealth PBM Caremark saying I couldn't continue on the anticoagulant with the lowest risk of major bleeding, Dad's final moments have been heavy on my mind. 🧵
I usually prefer to remember his life, but ever since I got the letter from @CVSHealth PBM Caremark saying I couldn't continue on the anticoagulant with the lowest risk of major bleeding, Dad's final moments have been heavy on my mind. 🧵
I got the call around 4am from my parent’s neighbor saying there was blood everywhere in Dad’s bedroom. Mom was hysterical. EMS were on the scene. 2/
Dad was stabilized at their small rural hospital before being transported an hour to a large academic hospital. He had a major bleed in his lungs. Despite best efforts over the next 48 hours, he had one final traumatic bleed out which could not be stopped.3/
CVS Health reported $2.3 billion in profit for the first quarter, which exceeded Wall Street's expectations.
I've read $CVS Q1 report & frankly, it's sickening to me as a patient who was denied access to my life-saving medication for purely profit-motivated reasons the same Q.🧵
I've read $CVS Q1 report & frankly, it's sickening to me as a patient who was denied access to my life-saving medication for purely profit-motivated reasons the same Q.🧵
2/ First the $CVS financials:
Total Q1 revenues ⬆️to $76.8 billion,⬆️11.2% compared to prior year
In PBM Caremark segment, total revenues⬆️8.6% to $39.4 billion
Q dividend ⬆️10%, $722 million shareholder return, first corp stock buy back since 2017.
Earnings forecast ⬆️
☀️💵
Total Q1 revenues ⬆️to $76.8 billion,⬆️11.2% compared to prior year
In PBM Caremark segment, total revenues⬆️8.6% to $39.4 billion
Q dividend ⬆️10%, $722 million shareholder return, first corp stock buy back since 2017.
Earnings forecast ⬆️
☀️💵
3/What drove $CVS PBM Caremark's revenue growth?
👉"improved purchasing economics"
What does this mean for patients?
Non-medical switching. Patients are forced to change drugs not based on their doctor's medical advice but ONLY because another drug provides higher profit.
👉"improved purchasing economics"
What does this mean for patients?
Non-medical switching. Patients are forced to change drugs not based on their doctor's medical advice but ONLY because another drug provides higher profit.
Non-medical drug switching--born not of clinical reasons but out of the revenue-maximizing contract negotiations between pharma & PBMs--has tangible human impact. I am one of those impacted. #CardioTwitter #StopTheSwitch #MedTwitter #TwitterRx onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.10…
2) Shared decision making necessitates that no one stand between a patient & clinician making decisions based upon the clinical evidence.
yet
Non-medical drug switching= the insurance PBM knows better than patient & doctor.
#MedTwitter #CardioTwitter #TwitterRx #StopTheSwitch
yet
Non-medical drug switching= the insurance PBM knows better than patient & doctor.
#MedTwitter #CardioTwitter #TwitterRx #StopTheSwitch
3) If clinical evidence cannot be acted upon at the point of care at the dictates of a profit-motivated third party, can clinicians really be said to be practicing evidenced-based medicine?
🚨Clinical decisions MUST be between a patient & physician only.#MedTwitter #CardioTwitter
🚨Clinical decisions MUST be between a patient & physician only.#MedTwitter #CardioTwitter
.@JCScottPCMA you say PBMs advocate for patients by ensuring drug access, yet when CVS Caremark dropped Eliquis from formulary it forced 150,000 stable heart patients off their effective therapy for non-medical reasons. Have a position @pcmanet? 16 nonprofits do. #StopTheSwitch
Here's the letter the American Society of Hematology sent Caremark. They also met with execs. Still Caremark went 🤷♂️
"gravely concerned"
"serious impact" on patients
"ASH urges CVS to reconsider"
They cite clinical data showing bleed risk, outcomes
hematology.org/-/media/hemato…
"gravely concerned"
"serious impact" on patients
"ASH urges CVS to reconsider"
They cite clinical data showing bleed risk, outcomes
hematology.org/-/media/hemato…
And here's 14 additional nonprofits urging CVS to reverse course because:
"this abrupt change will be dangerously disruptive for patients"
"unquestionably exacerbate health equity concerns that exist in cardiovascular care"
Still CVS went 🤷♂️
static1.squarespace.com/static/56e6efd…
"this abrupt change will be dangerously disruptive for patients"
"unquestionably exacerbate health equity concerns that exist in cardiovascular care"
Still CVS went 🤷♂️
static1.squarespace.com/static/56e6efd…
