ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A new drug pricing rule, proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and released Monday, Nov. 26, considers policies theNational Community Pharmacy Association and CMS say will lower patients’ out-of-pocket costs at the pharmacy counter and lead to a more competitive and efficient part D program. NCPA advocated aggressively
WASHINGTON – As President Trump signs H.R. 6, the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act, several National Community Pharmacists Association-supported provisions contained in the opioid package become law. NCPA chief executive officer B. Douglas Hoey and Karry La Violette, NCPA’s senior vice president of government affairs and director
WASHINGTON— Four National Community Pharmacists Association leaders joined President Trump at the White House today as he signed legislation prohibiting so-called pharmacy “gag clauses” that may result in patients being charged inflated prices for their medications. Attending were newly-installed president Bill Osborn, owner of Osborn Drugs in Miami, Okla.; NCPA board members Michele M. Belcher, owner of Grants
ARLINGTON, Va. — Allied Against Opioid Abuse (AAOA), a national initiative to help prevent prescription opioid abuse and misuse through education, has created a pharmacy toolkit to equip pharmacists with resources to engage and educate patients about the safe use, storage and disposal of pain medicines. AAOA, along with its founding member, the Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA),
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — National Community Pharmacists Association’s chief executive officer Douglas Hoey announced that Anne Cassity has joined NCPA as vice president, federal and state government affairs, as the organization continues to grow its advocacy influence. A seasoned government affairs professional, Cassity formerly managed NCPA’s federal advocacy program. She left NCPA in 2011 to become health care
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Reducing drug costs borne by seniors due to middlemen and deals in the drug supply chain are Medicare Part D reforms that most strongly curry favor among registered voters, according to a Morning Consult survey commissioned by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA). Conducted in late June, the survey results indicate strong support
BLOOMFIELD, Conn. — Another blockbuster merger is adding momentum to the consolidation wave sweeping through the health care sector, and again crossing industry segments. Health insurer Cigna Corp. plans to acquire pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts in a $67 billion cash and stock deal. Under the agreement, unveiled earlier this month, Cigna will pay Express
WASHINGTON — A group of senators are sponsoring legislation to bring more prescription drug pricing transparency to the pharmacy counter. Sens. Susan Collins (R., Maine), Claire McCaskill (D., Mo.) and Debbie Stabenow (D., Mich.) yesterday introduced the Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act (S. 2554) and the Know the Lowest Price Act (S. 2553), which would
ARLINGTON, Va. — The “untenable” procedures around direct and indirect remuneration fees (DIR fees) can be righted with measures reducing costs for beneficiaries and the government, while promoting a more quality-driven health care system, says the National Association of Chain Drug Stores. NACDS expressed that message in comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Suffice it to say, community pharmacies are getting squeezed by retroactive DIR fees. That’s what the results of a survey from the National Community Pharmacists Association said. NCPA reported Friday that, because of retroactive direct and indirect remuneration fees, 84% of independent pharmacy owners polled said they don’t know what their final reimbursement will be at
Without a doubt, pharmacies of all stripes are being challenged in this busy flu season, as the number of cases nationwide continues to escalate. Just go to any drug store, and you’ll likely see a queue at the pharmacy counter and a steady flow of concerned-looking people entering and exiting the cold/cough medicine aisles. This
WASHINGTON — In recent testimony before the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) chief executive officer B. Douglas Hoey said pharmacists can drive better health outcomes and reduce costs, but first pharmacy benefit managers’ problematic business practices must be addressed through legislative and regulatory channels. As an
Community pharmacy owners occupy a critical position in the pharmacy marketplace and, even more importantly, as health care providers in communities across the country. Most stakeholders in the profession understand the vital marketplace check and balance that independent businesses provide. If only two or three megachain drug stores existed, negotiations with payers would look very
WASHINGTON — The individual mandate is no more. The requirement under the Affordable Care Act that people pay a penalty if they do not obtain health insurance was eliminated in the federal tax overhaul passed by Congress. After the Senate approved the tax reform legislation 51-48, Trump tweeted, “Terrible Individual Mandate (ObamaCare) Repealed.” He signed