Caremark OGB Contract Moving Forward
December 29, 2022 – It has been confirmed that Louisiana’s Office of Group Benefits (OGB) will proceed with the Caremark CVS pharmaceutical Contract that has received much opposition from state legislators and independent pharmacies throughout the state of Louisiana.
Today, during the latest round of litigation between the independent pharmacists and OGB, the judge dismissed the case, stating that securing and executing this contract is a function of the Executive Branch of government. This means the new contract will go into effect on January 1, 2023.
Senator Heather Cloud, who has openly expressed opposition of the contract, said, “There isn’t much we can do at this point because of time constraints. State workers may have trouble filling prescriptions with trusted local independent pharmacies. My recommendation to them is to fill needed medications before January 1st.”
Although some independent pharmacies have claimed that they are opting into the contract, they will actually be filling them on a script-by-script basis, which still leaves the possibility that some individuals could encounter issues getting certain prescriptions filled.
Senator Cloud went on to say, “Please continue to voice your concerns and situation to the Office of Group Benefits. You can, of course, continue to contact my office and let us know what hardships you’re facing, and we’ll do our best to assist and pass on all correspondence to the correct agencies. Rest assured that your legislators, both Democrats, and Republicans, have fought hard and will continue to fight so that you have healthcare access to your local pharmacies.”
STATE EMPLOYEES AND RETIREES SHOULD CONSIDER FILLING MEDICINES BEFORE DEC 31ST TO AVOID RISK OF DELAYS AND CONFUSION
