BMDA Concerned About Allshores/Phoenix Deal
The Bermuda Medical Doctors Association [BMDA] said they are “expressing serious concern regarding the recent policy announcement by Allshores that, effective March 1, 2026, GLP-1 medications and other designated high-cost prescription drugs must be dispensed exclusively through Phoenix Pharmacies for affected members.”
A spokesperson said, “While the BMDA recognizes the need for responsible cost management in Bermuda’s healthcare system, we believe this policy raises significant concerns regarding patient choice, medication safety, administrative burden, and the increasing corporatization of medical care.
“Medication Safety Concerns
“The BMDA is particularly concerned about the potential risks associated with fragmented prescription dispensing.
“If patients are required to obtain certain medications from one pharmacy while continuing to fill other prescriptions elsewhere, complete medication profiles may not be visible in a single system. Without seamless integration across pharmacies, this fragmentation could increase the risk of:
- Incomplete drug-to-drug interaction screening
- Duplicate therapies
- Missed contraindications
- Delays in identifying adverse medication combinations
“Medication safety depends on comprehensive oversight. Any system that separates prescription records must ensure that patient safety remains the top priority.
“Increased Administrative Burden and Cost to Patients
“The BMDA is also concerned about the expanded pre-authorization requirements and additional paperwork that will likely result from this change.
“Redirecting prescriptions to a designated pharmacy requires additional coordination between physicians, medical practices, pharmacies, and insurers. This includes:
- Completing and resubmitting prior authorizations
- Managing redirected prescriptions
- Clarifying coverage limitations
- Increased staff time handling insurer requirements
“These administrative processes carry real costs. Medical practices may be forced to absorb this burden or pass the cost on to patients through administrative fees. Ultimately, patients are likely to bear the financial impact of increased paperwork and insurer-driven processes.
“Growing Corporate Consolidation in Medicine
“The BMDA is increasingly concerned about the broader structural implications of this decision.
“It is publicly known that Allshores has acquired medical practices in Bermuda. When an insurer both owns medical practices and directs patients to a single designated pharmacy provider, the healthcare landscape shifts toward vertical integration.
“Medicine risks becoming increasingly corporate in structure, where financial and contractual arrangements may influence care pathways. Healthcare decisions should remain grounded in physician clinical judgment and individualized patient needs — not corporate consolidation strategies.
“Protecting Patient Choice
“Patient choice is a fundamental pillar of a balanced healthcare system. Restricting pharmacy access for certain medications reduces flexibility and may create unintended barriers to care.
“If trends toward insurer-directed care continue, patients may find their healthcare options increasingly determined by insurance policy structures rather than by shared decision-making with their physician.
“Call for Transparency and Oversight
“The BMDA calls upon regulators and policymakers to examine:
- The safety implications of pharmacy exclusivity
- The financial impact of increased administrative requirements
- The competitive effects of market consolidation
- The long-term impact of vertical integration on Bermuda’s healthcare system
“Healthcare is not simply a financial transaction. It is a public trust that requires transparency, accountability, and patient-centered safeguards.
“A Message to Patients
“Patients are encouraged to engage in this conversation. If you believe that your healthcare decisions should be guided by you and your physician — and that your medication access should prioritize safety, choice, and fairness — your voice matters.
“The BMDA remains committed to advocating for patients and supporting physicians in protecting the integrity, safety, and independence of Bermuda’s healthcare system.”
Isn’t this monopolization, which should be forbidden and against the law?
It would be similar to saying that stores can only purchase from one distributor company, or like saying Bermudians can only shop at one grocery store chain.
Doesn’t Phoenix or any pharmacy make a profit off of medications sold, and billing health insurance companies based on medication pricing?
This would be a good way to ensure a guaranteed profit increase for Phoenix, if true, and a guaranteed reduction in profit for their competitors.
Nope, not in this crooked island
“Nope, not in this crooked island”
Gerald, why do you say Bermuda is crooked?
If you want monopolies or combinations to be forbidden, I suggest you lobby you MP.