The PUTTcast

From Termination to Town Hall: Martella's Pharmacies Takes the PBM Fight to the People

June 9
38 mins

Episode Description

In this episode of The PUTTcast, PUTT Executive Director Monique Whitney steps into the host chair alongside Vice President Lauren Young for a powerful conversation about patient access, PBM accountability, and the growing movement to take the fight directly to elected officials at the town hall level.

Key Takeaways

  • How Express Scripts terminated Martella's Pharmacies from their network — across all six locations — citing credentialing issues, and why Jackie believes it was anything but routine
  • Why Pennsylvania's Act 77, intended to protect pharmacies, may have had unintended consequences that accelerated network purges - and how other states have experienced the same unintended repercussions
  • Our strategy for using election-season town halls to embarrass legislators into accountability — and why patient voices are the most powerful tool in the room

Special Guests: 

  • Jerry Shapiro RPh, PUTT Board Member, NCPA Foundation President, retired pharmacy owner
  • Jackie Martella RPh & Bob McGowan Owners, Martella’s Pharmacies

Mark Your Calendar

PUTT is hosting a community town hall on June 23rd in Johnstown/Boswell, Pennsylvania to collect patient stories, document the impact of pharmacy access loss, and shine a light on what's happening in rural communities across the state. If you're in the area, come out and make your voice heard.

Resources & Links

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