ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), which in two separate letters called on the FTC to investigate PBMs, today hailed a move by chairwoman Lina Kahn to call for a vote to launch a formal study.

B. Douglas Hoey

“This is a massively significant development for independent pharmacy,” said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey. “Pharmacy benefit managers are among the secretive actors in the healthcare sector, and they’ve escaped scrutiny for a far too long. We are grateful to chairwoman Lina Kahn for listening to our concerns, and we strongly urge the commissioners to approve this study.”

The Commission is scheduled to vote on February 17 on whether to make PBMs hand over information on contracts, reimbursements, “and other practices affecting drug prices, including those practices that may disadvantage independent or specialty pharmacies.”

“It is extremely encouraging that the FTC is focused specifically on how PBM practices affect independent pharmacies,” said Hoey. “That’s a real breakthrough. We’ve been working for a long time to convince the FTC and other agencies that the PBMs are behaving like monopolies and crushing independent pharmacies. The study they’re considering next week will bring it all out into view for the agency, and we’re hopeful that will lead to significant changes in enforcement, promote competition, and protect patients.”

To read NCPA’s letters to the FTC and its previous statements, click here.