FAQ
General Questions from Practices
Why should I pay to join OPR when I can find pricing on my own?
OPR is much more than upfront drug pricing. As oncology changes and the drug margin continues to dwindle, OPR is looking for other ways for a practice to increase revenue without a lot of money. In addition, under federal and state laws, OPR would not be able to share the administration fees that are earned with the members unless they were also “owners”.
OPR has been very forward thinking in the programs and companies we select. We not only have an answer to the oral drug issue, but also have technology programs in development that will allow practices to be more efficient and monitor their patient care more closely. We also have programs that practices may choose to join to move market share on drugs.
What does OPR do with the administrative fees it earns?
First of all, OPR does real work to actually earn the administrative fees from our various endeavors. We also offer members a full accounting of what was earned and what was spent at the end of each year. GPOs are required to do this, but many do not.
OPR sent $300,000.00 back to members in 2007 in the way of member disbursements. The amount received by each member was based upon their own personal volume. No other GPO that we know of shares their administrative fee with the practices that actually earn the fees for them.
My practice constantly receives special offers and we are not sure about them.
Many companies will create special deals on soon to expire products or for limited time “act now’ offers. This is usually done to gain access to a practice or to get rid of products on their shelves. Most of the pricing is in effect for a short period of time or on selected products only. Trying to analyze whether this is a good deal or not again takes staff time. OPR practices forward these offers to our office and we do the investigation. If it is of value then we let you know, if not, we just saved you the time and trouble.
How do I know that I am not paying more than other practices?
Unlike some of our competitors, all OPR practices pay the same price for their drugs. OPR was founded on the premise that small and mid sized practices should not pay more than the larger ones just because they prefer to be on their own. We do not have special programs for large practices, we do not increase the cost of one drug to discount others and we treat all practices the same regardless of their individual volume.
It seems that I am always seeing a price increase and I can’t keep up.
The contract OPR has with its preferred vendor limits price increases. This means that unless there is a well documented manufacturer increase, our vendor cannot raise the price for OPR members. Sometimes our competitors will have a price increase when they have special offers on other products. This way they minimize their margin loss at the expense of the practices.
Do I have to jump through hoops to get a price offer matched?
No! OPR does this for you. Our contract calls for our vendor to match a competitor’s offer. This works just like you hear on TV – bring OPR the offer, we verify that it does not have any “small print” and we send it on to our vendor. They have 24 hours to match the price for all OPR members and not just the one that received the offer.
Is there any cost to me or my insurance company to participate in the OPRx databank project?
No. The costs to capture and analyze this data will be covered by interested industry partners.
What if I agree to participate in this program today but change my mind later on?
The OPRx databank project is completely voluntary. You may withdraw from this program at any time.
What if my insurance plan requires that my prescriptions be filled by a specialty pharmacy other than Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy?
Any prescriptions that must be filled by a specific pharmacy other than Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy, will be “warm transferred” immediately to that company so that your prescription can be processed as soon as possible.
Will my name be used?
Never. At all times your privacy is of great concern to OPRx. All patient identifying information will be removed before your adherence information is stored in our databank or provided to any pharmaceutical company, physicians’ group or other third party.
If there is no way to identify me, why must I sign this enrollment form?
It is a protection for your physician and his staff members to inform you that data from your file (although not identifiable) will be used to collect adherence and compliance patterns. Your signature on the enrollment form confirms that you are aware and willing to have that information submitted as part of this data collection program. The government has very strict regulation on a patient’s right to be informed of any sharing of statistical health data to third parties even if the patient’s specific personal health information cannot be identified.
Why am I being asked to sign this form even though I may not currently be taking an oral drug for my treatment?
Maintaining a complete chart for each patient requires thorough documentation and a great deal of your provider’s time and effort. By signing this agreement proactively, you will have had time to review and address any concerns. You will not have to use valuable time spent with your physician or nurse to complete the additional paperwork at the time when a prescription may be ordered for you.