Measure 7 is something that has come up on the ballot before in North Dakota: removing the requirement that all pharmacies must be owned by a licensed pharmacist.\u00a0 This time it seems like it may really have some momentum.\u00a0 I just got my mind blown in such a way that I have switched from a lifelong YES vote on this to a sound NO.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 The answer will blow you away.<\/p>\n
First, let me say that I believe that anyone who wants to operate a business in North Dakota should be able to do so.\u00a0 I’ve always believed that, and it’s been the core principle behind my opposition to North Dakota’s pharmacy laws.\u00a0 I’ve voted in favor of changing this every time it’s come up on the ballot.\u00a0 This time around, however, I was wavering a bit, and I don’t know why. Something just didn’t seem quite right.\u00a0 More on that later.<\/p>\n
I’d classify most pro-Measure 7 folks in three broad categories:<\/p>\n
Like I said, in principle I would have voted yes simply because of the first item.\u00a0 I’m not so sure that prices will come down as the second group of people believe.\u00a0 But the third one is the one that didn’t make sense until today.<\/p>\n
CVS operates pharmacies in the state.\u00a0 White Drug does, too.\u00a0 I bought most of my Atari cartridges and lots of my Star Wars action figures in an Osco.\u00a0 So what gives?\u00a0 Why do the “big box” stores claim they can’t operate here?\u00a0 The answer is so simple and so complicated at the same time that it would never have occurred to me until Matt Evans wrote about it on my friend Rob’s blog.<\/p>\n
In that article, Matt pulls back the curtain and reveals that there is no free market in this matter<\/a>.\u00a0 The big box stores negotiate with insurance companies for the ability to get certain medications covered, with state regulations giving them the muscle.\u00a0 This artificially distorts the market, obviously.<\/p>\n So what happens if Measure 7 passes?\u00a0 The “big box” stores go straight to the insurance companies, negotiate the same thing with them as they do in other states, and the next time you want to get your prescription covered you find out that it won’t be – unless you go to Big Box Pharmacy.<\/p>\n Naturally this stinks for a number of folks:<\/p>\n No wonder the bigs have been pouring millions into this issue: rather than it being a matter of free markets, it’s a matter of rigging the game in their favor!\u00a0 In the guise of making more free, open competition available to drive prices down for the consumer, it’s actually a way to subvert the free market using the state-regulated insurance industry as a crowbar to leverage things in their favor.<\/p>\n I went from a 100% principled YES in this matter to a 100% NO in a matter of seconds after I read this.\u00a0 If a YES vote would result in true freedom of competition and no protectionism, I’d cast it…but it would do exactly the opposite.<\/p>\n Make sure you read Matt Evans’ post on Say Anything<\/a>.\u00a0 It’s a real eye opener.\u00a0 Cast your NO vote to stop government-enforced cronyism from coming between you, your pharmacist, and your prescriptions.\u00a0 Otherwise the next time you want to support your local pharmacist, you may be doing it with your own money instead of the insurance coverage you already paid for.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Measure 7 is something that has come up on the ballot before in North Dakota: removing the requirement that all pharmacies must be owned by a licensed pharmacist.\u00a0 This time it seems like it may really have some momentum.\u00a0 I … Continue reading \n