Since starting Corporate Pharmacy Services (CPS) in 1990, I’ve seen vast changes in the workers’ compensation pharmacy space. With advances in technology and now AI most of the changes have been for the better, but by the same token, the old adage “the more things change the more they stay the same” still applies. Like the reason someone chooses a pharmacy program. It still comes down to the same two requests year after year: lower my costs and take care of my people.
I’m proud to say that for over 30 years we’ve been doing just that. Our company has evolved from a mail order pharmacy for group health benefits to a provider in all 50 states of all facets of pharmacy. We provide retail, mail order, and compounding solely for workers’ compensation. We brought group health pricing to the workers’ compensation marketplace with first in the industry pricing of MAC on generics and cost-plus pricing on mail order. We built CPS by listening to you, our customers. In 1996 our retail drug card was developed at the suggestion of an adjuster that saw tremendous savings on our mail order and wanted us to bring those same savings to short-term (retail) prescriptions as well..jpg?width=300&height=286&name=thumbnail_Greg%20headshot%20color%20(1).jpg)
Today, injured workers can fill prescriptions at over 64,000+ pharmacies nationwide. Our Blue Diamond proprietary software was developed in 2006 from the input of adjusters and nurse case managers that told us how vital it was to perform tasks related to the pharmacy program from their desktop. The beauty of Blue Diamond is that it operates on a live platform and those same adjusters and nurse case managers still ask for, and receive, enhancements to the software. With our IT department, we can make those enhancements in days not months!
In 2013, we saw a need for our customers to save money on compounded medications and provide relief from exorbitant pricing in the market. Most of those compounding labs have closed, but with many patients needing compounds, we continue to fill that niche by bringing sustainable pricing and combination drug therapy to the injured workers that need special therapies or who can’t use traditional medicines. Recently, we have implemented a variety of new capabilities that include special programs for MSA/MCA accounts, electronic billing and remittance, state reporting, two-step authentication process, and the ability to text an authorization form.
All our innovations are important, but most important are our people. I have been blessed with exemplary employees that truly practice the Golden Rule of treating others as you would want to be treated. They ARE Corporate Pharmacy Services and the engine that drives our train. Our Customer Care department is second to none and that same demeanor permeates through our entire workforce.
The one compliment I hear repeatedly at trade shows, stewardship meetings, and various other gatherings is how courteous and helpful are our employees. I believe that our key to being a successful company is that we all have a burning desire and passion for what we’re doing! I would love for you to experience what has led us to a 98% client retention rate since inception as we lower your costs and take care of your people. Because, you see, the more things change the more they remain the same.
