The Show-Me Institute has released a new case study that examines the privatization of pharmacy services in Saint Louis County. The study reviewed trends in both the budget and actual expenses of county pharmacy operation, which show that before 2003, costs were rapidly rising — consistently outstripping budgeted figures.

When the county opened a competitive bidding process for provision of pharmacy services in early 2003, costs began to drop dramatically. Since then, the county has spent less than it budgeted on the pharmacy every year, even as those budgeted amounts continue to decrease each year, in response to the significant cost savings.

The study’s author, Show-Me Institute policy analyst David Stokes, has had years of experience in county government, where he was closely involved with legislation including MetroLink expansion, property assessments, HVAC licensing codes, the new Cardinals ballpark, casino expansion, and much more. He worked as an assistant at the Saint Louis County Council when the pharmacy privatization examined by this study was first passed. With this case study, Stokes demonstrates the value and efficiency that market-based alternatives can bring to struggling public programs. (Read entire case study here.)

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