Milford Business Owner Has Succeeded, Thrived In A Male Dominated Industry

MILFORD, CT — In an industry that men have traditionally dominated, Patricia Sirowich said through hard work and determination, she was a force and pioneer in the pharmacy benefits industry, providing individualized consulting and auditing services.

“Going into different offices, as a woman, I always prided myself on being professional the way I dressed and acted, and I’m very proud of that because it was not easy at all,” she said.

Sirowich is the founder and president of PBIRx. Located in Milford at 612 Wheelers Farm Rd., PBIRx is a consulting firm in the pharmacy benefit industry.

“We audit the pharmacy benefit managers,” she said. “So, for example, some companies have AT&T as their phone service provider. That company can hire a phone consultant to audit their bill to ensure it is correct. That is what we do.”

One of the reasons why Sirowich decided to start PBIRx was the excessive profits realized by the pharmacy benefit managers and the lack of transparency to payors.

Recently, PBIRx celebrated 30 years of service, but Sirowich’s start in the pharmacy and healthcare industry goes back further.

“When I started in the industry in 1987, prescription drugs of employee benefits represented four percent of health care dollars,” Sirowhich said. “In 2023, it represents anywhere from 25 percent to 40 percent plus of total medical costs, primarily because of the introduction of the new specialty drugs in the tens of thousands of dollars per month.”

Sirowich was one of the 10 founders of Express Scripts, where she worked for 13 years.

“Express Scripts told me they weren’t making enough money and wanted me to work for them as an incorporated broker,” she said. “So I decided to incorporate, got myself an office and hired staff, and ended up being their top salesman for 11 out of the 13 years I was affiliated with them. When I left, I had brought them over four million lives and 2,000 clients.”
While a salesperson, Sirowich said she was the “token woman.”

“I was able to earn people’s respect, usually men since this industry is male-dominated,” she said. “There were situations in my working life where I modified my behavior and mannerisms so that I was perceived as a professional person versus a woman.”

There was one situation 25 years ago when a client told Sirowich she was beautiful.

“I used to visit doctors, and this doctor gets up, walks around, puts his arm around the chair I was on, and says to me, how many contact lenses do you think I should buy,” Sirowich said. “I told him I don’t think you should buy anything you don’t need, and I left.”

Through her hard work and determination, Sirowich and her team made PBIRx succeed and are now certified as a Woman Owned Small Minority Business Enterprise through the Supplier Diversity Program of the state of Connecticut.

“We got the certification two years ago, and we are now recertifying,” Sirowich said.

To be certified as a Woman Owned Business in Connecticut, the business must provide extensive documentation. Certified companies must prove they are independently operated and at least 51 percent owned, controlled, and managed by a member of a minority, such as a women-owned business.

“50 percent of our staff are women,” Sirowich said. “I only say that because I encourage diversity, and the women here appreciate that.”