Good Neighbor Pharmacy launches DIR fee estimator tool

VALLEY FORGE, Pa. — Good Neighbor Pharmacy on Friday announced a new tool for independent pharmacists designed to help them plan around direct and indirect remuneration, or DIR, fees and hidden cash flow issues surrounding them.

“For more than 30 years, we have found our greatest successes when we listen to our pharmacists and develop solutions that address the most complicated challenges they face every day,” AmerisourceBergen group VP pharmacy innovation and solutions Chuck Reed said. “Inconsistency and opacity in how DIR fees are calculated and the delayed timing of DIR fees is a major pain point for pharmacists.”

The new tool is available to members of AmerisourceBergen’s pharmacy services administrative organization, Elevate Provider Network, who take advantage of its advanced features. The DIR fee estimator tool uses real-time claim-level detail alongside DIR rates from signed contracts between the PSAO and pharmacy benefits managers. The tool is updated every two hours to ensure the most accurate information is available for pharmacists planning around their monthly fees.

“Our DIR fee estimator tool was created to empower them to plan ahead, give [pharmacists] visibility into the process and ultimately set them up for a more successful business,” Reed said.

The company said that the estimator tool is part of its larger efforts to manage the impact that DIR fees have on independent pharmacies, including work through Elevate Provider Network’s approach to managed care contracting and selectively participating in preferred cost-sharing networks. The company also advocates on behalf of independent and managed-care pharmacies on legislative issues, and has a resource site for pharmacists, OurIndependentVoice.com.