PCS STARTER-DOSE PROGRAM WOULD REPLACE PHYSICIAN SAMPLING WITH PHARMACY-BASED DISTRIBUTION; DRUG MANUFACTURERS WOULD PAY PHARMACIST FEE FOR FREE DISPENSING

PCS is developing a starter-dose program to move dispensing of free initial drug doses into pharmacies, paid for through a dispensing fee picked up by manufacturers. The main premise of the PCS trial-dose proposal is to create savings for manufacturers by doing away with special packaging costs; part of those savings could then be used to pay pharmacists for their role in filling the starter prescriptions.