Pharmacy group warns that postal service cuts would hurt patients' access to medicines

A pharmacy group is warning that millions of Americans with chronic medical conditions would suffer if the United States Postal Service ends Saturday service. Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) President and CEO Mark Merritt issued a statement after a joint hearing Wednesday on the postal service.

"About one in six prescriptions that are home delivered arrive on Saturday. Consumers count on getting their prescriptions at the right time and shouldn’t be made to wait two, or in the case of federal holidays that fall on a Monday, three days." Merritt said. “Surveys show that recipients of prescription drugs by mail — a majority of which are delivered by the USPS — are highly satisfied with mail-service pharmacies, as they are convenient, safe, and save consumers money. Peer-reviewed research has demonstrated that home delivery of prescription medications can increase adherence to drug regimens for the chronically ill, such as those with diabetes. Additional research has also shown mail-service pharmacies dispense prescriptions with far greater accuracy and cost consumers less than ‘brick-and-mortar’ pharmacies.”