‘A pharmacy desert’: Ligonier patients grapple with barriers to crucial meds

Latrobe Bulletin

Reporter: Annabelle Chipps

Patients with certain insurance policies haven’t been able to get their medication covered by insurance at Ligonier Pharmacy for over six months now, and health care advocates are looking to change that.

Pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts dropped all Martella’s Pharmacies locations, including Ligonier Pharmacy, from its network last year, leading to a gap in care for UPMC and Highmark policy holders in Ligonier as well as those in Johnstown, Windber Borough and Boswell Borough.

PBMs are third-party administrators that process prescriptions and connect insurance companies to stores themselves. They dictate which medications are covered and where... Read the Full Article