- Delays in U.S. Postal Service deliveries have exposed the dangers of prescription drug mail order services, which are often encouraged by insurers, Modern Healthcare reported.
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- Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA) home delivery venture, AllianceRx Walgreens Prime, reported that prescriptions have taken longer via USPS deliveries since March, and in some cases the delay has been three or more days.
- AllianceRx said the delays were caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, aircraft availability, significant network volume and the elimination of overtime by USPS.
- A spokesman for CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) said it gives clients the option to offer longer-term prescriptions for ongoing conditions, such as diabetes, through mail order or at a CVS pharmacy. “This option has proven effective in creating member savings and keeping patients adherent, which in turn drives better health outcomes.”
- An August 2020 report by healthcare analytics firm IQVIA found that 312.7 million prescriptions, or 4.9% of all prescriptions sent in 2019, were posted by mail.
- Mail delivery prescriptions accounted for $132.5 billion in spending before discounts or rebates, just over a quarter of total U.S. spending on medicines in 2019.
