News

Pharmacy kiosks raise controversy

November 27, 2006

The News Observer: North Carolina's largest health insurer has gotten on the wrong side of state regulators. The N.C. Board of Pharmacy has told Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina that it is concerned about the insurer's latest effort to get cheaper, generic drugs to patients through computerized kiosks that allow doctors to dispense free 30-day samples.

Blue Cross has contracted with a San Diego company, MedVantx, to set up, stock and maintain the kiosks statewide. Six Triangle physicians already have them. But Blue Cross and MedVantx fell short of fully explaining the program to the pharmacy board, said Jay Campbell, executive director of the regulatory body. The board makes sure prescription drugs are dispensed without putting public health and safety at risk.

"There may not be any problem," Campbell said. "But finding out details (about the program) in the newspaper is not the way I like to do my job. I need to know what the heck they're doing."

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