WASHINGTON — Vowing to fix what he called a “broken health care system,” Rep. Tom Price (R., Ga.) was sworn in earlier this month as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retail pharmacy groups responded by welcoming Price to his new post as HHS secretary. “We congratulate Rep. Tom Price on
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association has made several staff appointments and enlisted a Washington, D.C., lobbying firm to augment its federal, state and media relations efforts. NCPA said Thursday that Kevin Schweers has been named as senior vice president of government and public affairs and director of the NCPA Advocacy Center. The
WASHINGTON — Reps. Morgan Griffith (R., Va.) and Peter Welch (D., Vt.) have reintroduced the Improving Transparency and Accuracy in Medicare Part D Spending Act (H.R. 1038), which community pharmacies say would squelch a growing burden: retroactive direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees. The bill, introduced Wednesday in the House of Representatives, would ban the application
WASHINGTON — Just about a week after being reintroduced in the Senate, the pharmacy provider status bill is now once again before the House of Representatives. Reps. Brett Guthrie (R., Ky.), G.K. Butterfield (D., N.C.), Ron Kind (D., Wis.) and Tom Reed (R., N.Y.) on Friday introduced the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act
WASHINGTON – Pharmacist provider status legislation is back before Congress, with the bipartisan co-sponsorship of more than a quarter of the Senate. Sens. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa), Bob Casey (D., Penn.) and Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio) on Thursday reintroduced the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act (S. 109) with its 27 original co-sponsors. A
Donald Trump briefly touched on the pharmaceutical industry in his first major press conference since being elected president. In the news conference yesterday at Trump Tower in Manhattan, Trump talked about drug companies relocating overseas and referred to the rising cost of pharmaceuticals. “We’ve got to get our drug industry back,” Trump said after discussing
(*Note: Go to 42:05 of video for Cuomo’s discussion of prescription drug costs.) ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled a three-pronged plan to check soaring prescription drug prices, which he called a “tremendous problem” for the state and its residents. In his 2017 State of the State address on Wednesday, Cuomo proposed
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — With the Senate setting the stage for a repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the National Community Pharmacists Association has shared its views on a possible replacement of the health care law with congressional leaders. NCPA said Wednesday that it has sent a letter to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R.,
WASHINGTON — Americans continue to hold pharmacists in high regard, according to Gallup’s Honesty and Integrity survey. Of more than 1,000 U.S. adults that Gallup polled by phone, 67% rated pharmacists “very high/high” in honesty and ethics — second only to nurses, which again came out on top with 84% of respondents describing the nursing
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association has entered a five-year agreement with digital health provider RxWiki Inc. NCPA said Tuesday that the pact extends an existing agreement with RxWiki and secures the association members’ benefits through 2021. With the extension, NCPA member pharmacies such benefits as an annual digital health check; a royalty-free
NEW ORLEANS — Independent community pharmacists are branching out care beyond traditional pharmacy services as they take a more active role in their patients’ health, according to the National Community Pharmacists Association. The 2016 NCPA Digest, sponsored by Cardinal Health Inc. and released Tuesday at NCPA’s 2016 Annual Convention, shows how independent pharmacies are
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Congressional support continues to build for cracking down on direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees. The National Community Pharmacists Association said that four U.S. senators on Monday introduced a bill that would boost transparency in Medicare Part D drug spending and prohibit retroactive DIR fees. The Improving Transparency and Accuracy in Medicare
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association has endorsed new legislation designed to raise transparency and accuracy in Medicare Part D prescription drug spending and reporting. NCPA said the bill, the Improving Transparency and Accuracy in Medicare Part D Spending Act (H.R. 5951), introduced Thursday, also would ban so-called direct and indirect remuneration (DIR)
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association has created a new Innovation Center to provide resources to help independent pharmacies adapt to the fast-changing health care environment. NCPA said Tuesday that the Innovation Center will develop and offer programs to educate community pharmacists about emerging opportunities in the evolving health care market, as well
