
Something is bugging me this week. Okay, lots of things are bugging me this week, but the one that is relevant to this newsletter is the STAT News headline that implied it is awesome to be a pharmaceutical executive in 2026. This week, there were reports of more than 25,000 layoffs in pharma last year.…

Rumor has it that the weather will be cooler in the DC-area this weekend and I am giddy. Outside time sounds great – a hike, a cocktail on the patio, maybe getting the friend group together to start planning the next ski trip… hope you get a chance to dream big too. Caught my…

Mom and Pop Going Broke. The economics of pharmacies are fascinating. Like did you know they usually lose money on brand-name drugs? A pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) law in Montana would help those pharmacies get closer to at least breaking even and make sure they get dispensing fees. I thought this KFF piece was a…

As I write this, the elementary school across the street has Thriller playing at the 5th grade Halloween party happening in the parking lot. Things change and they stay the same. Not the worst reminder this week. Waiting. Payment rules expected from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services plus maybe eventually the Medicare Transaction…

Order (Not) Ready. The National Community Pharmacists Association surveyed just under 500 independent pharmacy owners and the results are really interesting. Almost ¾ had not signed 2025 Part D pharmacy contracts as of about a month ago. Of those that dispense GLP-1 agonists, 96% lose money on them; it makes sense why 59% are thinking…