Generic drugs online

Source: Danville News

Date: 19-Jun-2008

Author: Asten Smith

The Northumberland County commissioners turned down a proposal to save taxpayers nearly $5,000 in pharmaceutical services for the county's nursing home by entering into an agreement with three retail pharmacies instead of a long-term care pharmacy located in Northumberland, the chief executive officer of Synergy Health Systems said.

Amanda Kessler, chief executive officer of Synergy Health Systems, asked the commissioners Tuesday to consider the company's services to provide prescription medications to Mountain View Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Coal Township.

Kessler told the commissioners she could save the county an overall $100,000 in prescription medications, medical staffing and other long-term care services and could not understand why the board declined to consider her offer, which she said she initially proposed in February.

"No one wants to hear about how we can save the county $100,000," Kessler said, adding her repeated phone calls and e-mails regarding the issue were not returned.

Commissioner Vinny Clausi said he didn't return phone calls to Synergy or consider the firm in negotiations because he believed the savings figure was misleading and that the proposal included unneeded services, such as medical staffing and long-term care services they weren't asking for. He also said Kessler's claim that she approached the commissioners in February was false and that he was not aware of Synergy's offer until April.

Clausi said when he came into office, he made it his goal to improve the finances of Mountain View Manor and that he has the support of the other commissioners in this endeavor. He said he spent six to eight months negotiating prices with Community Pharmacy, Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy and Tom Olcese Pharmacy and worked out a reduction of $1.50 for prescription drugs in February, for a total $48,000 in savings to the county.

Kessler also told the commissioners she could save the county $48,000 in prescription costs, at which point heated accusations were made on both sides that the figure had been leaked from each of their departments. Kessler told the commissioners if Synergy would be considered as a pharmaceutical provider to the county, the firm would beat the proposed $48,000 in savings by $5,000.

"Whatever the proposal is, we will beat it by 10 percent," she said.

At that point, Clausi said to accept Synergy's bid over the other three companies would be unfair to the retail pharmacies, which would not have a chance to renegotiate. Clausi said to offer the business to Synergy would be committing fraud against the other businesses and that Tuesday's meeting was no place for negotiations.

During the public meeting, Commissioner Kurt Masser urged Chairman Frank Sawicki and Clausi to reopen negotiations to consider Synergy, saying although he wouldn't want to jeopardize the other companies involved, saving county money should be first priority.

"Ten percent is 10 percent, and we may want to consider bidding these," Masser said.

Sawicki and Clausi declined and voted to adopt the resolution between the county and the three pharmacies. Masser voted against the motion. Sawicki said negotiations for pharmaceutical services are negotiated every few years.

"I spoke to Synergy after the meeting," he said Wednesday. "This will be rebid again, and I said, wish you luck."

Responding to Clausi's statement that he spent months negotiating the rates, Sawicki made it clear he also was involved and Clausi was not acting alone.