Kaiser Permanente moved people's prescriptions out of network pharmacies and into its own locations and mail-order sites — but patients expressed worries about the change, the Moscow-Pullman Daily News reported Feb. 11.
"Effective Jan. 1, 2023, select Kaiser Permanente members can have acute prescriptions filled at their pharmacy of choice, and routine and planned medications filled through convenient, safe and cost-effective mail order service or at one of our Kaiser Permanente locations," the Oakland, Calf.-based system said in a statement to Becker's.
Kaiser did not answer questions about how many patients this will affect.
The health system sent a letter Feb. 1 to customers, saying, "Your plan allows you to fill one prescription for maintenance medication (a prescription you take on a regular basis) at a network pharmacy," according to the local news outlet. "You will need to obtain your next refill from our mail-order pharmacy or at a Kaiser Permanente pharmacy."
One patient, Kathryn Jackson, needs a hormone replacement drug to regulate her metabolism after her thyroid was removed years ago because of cancer. Ms. Jackson told the Daily News the closest Kaiser pharmacy is an hour and a half car ride away, and she's concerned about mailed drugs.
"My mailman also tends to leave my mailbox open, and I found my mail all over the road one time. There was a legal letter to one of my sons, and it was in the ditch for several months getting wet," she told the outlet. "So I just prefer picking it up safely. But I guess now that's not an option for me."
Ms. Jackson said she did not receive Kaiser's letter about the change in pharmacy locations.
Lee Hadwiger, an 89-year-old Pullman, Wash., resident, has two heart medications and a blood thinner he always picked up at a local pharmacy. He told the Daily News the news shocked him and that while his mail service is fairly regular, some days are missed and he does not want to enter his debit card information online.
In a statement, Kaiser told Becker's that 97 percent of refill prescriptions in Central and Eastern Washington are delivered within two to three days.
"In the rare event a member's prescription does not reach their home, a specially trained pharmacy staff member will work with the impacted member to assist with a time sensitive supply of medication at a network pharmacy," the system said. Kaiser added that if a patient has an acute or emergency medical situation, the person's prescription can be filled at a contracted, in-network pharmacy or at a Kaiser location.