ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Hundreds of independent neighborhood pharmacists participated in the National Community Pharmacists Association’s 2021 Congressional Pharmacy Fly-In, which was held virtually April 19-21. The purpose of the event is to urge Congress to support a pro-pharmacy, pro-patient agenda, including advancing efforts to stop unfair

National Community Pharmacists Association Logo. (PRNewsFoto/National Community Pharmacists Association)

pharmacy benefit managers practices such as retroactive clawbacks called direct and indirect remuneration fees, and to protect and expand patient access to community pharmacy services.

Here’s a recap of NCPA’s 2021 Congressional Pharmacy Fly-In:

• The event drew more than 300 community pharmacists from 47 states and the District of Columbia.
• Community pharmacists visited with more than 250 congressional offices for meetings with members of Congress or staffers.
• Fly-In participants highlighted to the policymakers the contributions of independent pharmacies in the community’s fight against the coronavirus.
• Participants also pushed for Congress to: finalize full pharmacy DIR fee reform that prohibits DIR clawbacks and standardizes pharmacy quality metrics; prohibit spread pricing (when a PBM charges a payer more than it reimburses a pharmacy for a drug, and keeps the difference) in Medicaid managed care; address pharmacy access issues including PBM conflicts of interest and patient steering; and ensure Medicare payment for enhanced pharmacist services such as testing and vaccines.