Emerson sells drugs -- at pharmacy in Bernie!

Corey Noles photo Mary Ellen Boner (right) of Bernie picks up her prescription at Overturf in Bernie from U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (center) and pharmacy owner Tom Burris (left).

With Congress pushing prescription-by-mail (PBM) companies harder than ever, U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO-8) decided to take a first-hand look at the inner workings of a small town pharmacy.

Emerson visited Overturf Pharmacy in Bernie Tuesday afternoon to spend about an hour working behind the counter.

"We're always in a constant fight to keep our pharmacies open," she said. "It really is a gigantic problem."

The Congresswoman took prescriptions from customers, and gave them to pharmacist and owner Tom Burris who explained to her how they get the drugs, and how they work with insurance companies.

"It's interesting to me to see how much some people's prescription co-pays are," she said. "This last girl's was only fifty-cents. That's pretty good."

The new Medicare Part D prescription drug plan which went into effect this past January has created a lot of extra legwork for pharmacists and insurance companies, but Emerson feels it has also helped people receive their much needed medications.

She questioned Burris on a number of issues asking how a pharmacist knows which drugs to keep on hand and about a pharmacists relationship with his customers especially in such a small town.

The Congresswoman seemed amazed, and somewhat appalled at the amount of time a pharmacist or assistant can spend on hold waiting to talk to insurance companies.

"This woman just spent 25 minutes sitting on the phone with Humana only to find out that they were denying the claim she was calling about," Emerson said.

She acknowledged the possibility that the Medicare prescription program has probably increased the workload for the insurance companies, but doesn't doubt its necessity.

Emerson shared her experience trying to keep her thyroid and blood pressure medication filled spending as much time traveling as she does.

She said that when she comes home for more than a month it's hard to keep them filled because insurance companies won't typically fill a prescription for more than 30, 60 or 90 days.

She spoke with Burris and former mayor Willard Adams about her problem trying to keep her blood pressure lined out and about how difficult it is to exercise and eat right when you spend most of your time in a car or plane.

Burris also discussed the paperwork needed to purchase products containing suphedrine, a common nasal decongestant often used in the production of methamphetamine.

Emerson acknowledged the restrictions and stressed why that registration was so important.

"I was on my way through St. Louis and stopped to buy some Sudafed and basically signed my life away," she said. When one of the pharmacists asked whether she had to show her license she said that she did.

Jo Ann's visit was part of a weeklong tour focusing on healthcare in the district. She also spoke at a banquet earlier Tuesday in Poplar Bluff and will be working at several pharmacies in the 8th District over the next couple days.

"I'm really concerned about our pharmacies so I decided to come work in one," she told one customer. She said that she could better represent them if she had some hands-on experience and knew what they go through in a day.

Corey Noles can be reached via e-mail at cnoles@dailystatesman.com