2/7/2012 12:08 PM 

The drumbeat for patient care and against the proposed Express Scripts and Medco merger continued today, as the senior advocacy group 60-Plus wrote to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) saying the deal "will mean higher prescription prices, fewer choices in pharmacy care, and lower-quality health services than are currently available."  

60-Plus said the merger of pharmaceutical insurance middlemen "is anti-competitive, anti-consumer and anti-senior, and should not be allowed to proceed."

The letter noted the harm that would result from the proposed merger's feared consequences for pharmacy patient care:  "Seniors tend to have more chronic conditions and take more medication than other age groups, and are especially sensitive to changes in the pharmaceutical-drug sector of the health market.  When seniors lose access to community pharmacies because they are no longer part of a PBM network or go out of business, or when they are forced into a mail-order program, their health and safety is at risk.  Seniors rely on local pharmacists for information, advice and counseling about their medications and possible side effects and drug interactions. Without this one-on-one counseling from a trusted pharmacist, some seniors will experience adverse drug reactions and health complications."