ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Congress has been buried in letters from members of the National Community Pharmacists Association, a group representing more than 21,000 independent pharmacies, urging passage of legislation to stop the abuse of backdoor fees that have increased by 91,500 percent in recent years. “We know there is strong bipartisan support for reforming pharmacy
ALEXANDRIA, Va — The National Community Pharmacists Association congratulated newly-appointed Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan, whose public criticism of vertical mergers in technology is music to the ears of independent pharmacists who are being squeezed by a handful of companies. “NCPA applauds your vigorous review of the antitrust implications of the behaviors of large technology
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Hundreds of organizations representing community pharmacies, grocery store pharmacies, specialty pharmacies, chain pharmacies, patient groups, buying groups, health systems, wholesalers, and business groups are making an all-out push for legislation that would stop the abuse of pharmacy price concessions charged by third-party middlemen, which have increased 91,500% in recent years. The Pharmacy
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association is pleased to announce the addition of Matthew Seiler as the association’s general counsel. In this role Seiler will have responsibility for all legal, transactional, compliance, and related activities at NCPA. Seiler has spent nearly two decades in corporate and private practice and a few years as
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association sent a letter from CEO B. Douglas Hoey to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the new administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, congratulating her on her appointment and highlighting independent pharmacy’s critical contributions to the fight against COVID-19, NCPA’s priority issues, and areas for collaboration moving forward. Among other
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Federal Trade Commission recently released a report about the effects of pharmacy benefit manager “rebate wall” contracting practices on competition in prescription drug markets. Among other observations, the report notes that rebate walls “may give payers strong incentives to block patient access to lower-priced medicines, whereas absent rebates a lower-priced equally effective product
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The CEO of the country’s largest organization of community pharmacies today called for immediate action after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services disclosed in a budget document that pharmacy benefit managers increased retroactive fees on pharmacies by an astonishing 91,500 percent in recent years. “This is absolutely unsustainable,” said B. Douglas Hoey,
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The national labor shortage that has small employers scrambling for workers is also affecting front-line health care providers, according to a new survey released today by the National Community Pharmacists Association. “This is a major challenge for community pharmacies that are seeing many more patients because of the pandemic,” said NCPA CEO B.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Pharmacy benefit manager reform legislation signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee (R-Tenn.) is a win for patients and small business pharmacies, the National Community Pharmacists Association says. “PBMs have exploded in size and in influence in recent years but have been permitted to operate with little regulation, to the detriment of
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association issued the following statement on behalf of Karry La Violette, NCPA senior vice president of Government Affairs, after HB 1763 became law: “States across the country are increasingly scrutinizing PBMs, filing suit against them, and working to rein in their opaque, manipulative business practices. By advancing HB
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — In comments submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the National Community Pharmacists Association is urging the agency to utilize a wide scope under its authority to collect information related to how pharmacy “performance” is measured in Medicare Part D to help address problems independent pharmacies are facing in serving
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association is supporting legislation reintroduced by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R, Iowa) and Maria Cantwell (D, Wash.) requiring the Federal Trade Commission to study the role and recent merger activity of pharmacy benefit managers, including possible anticompetitive behavior and how PBM actions are affecting patients and pharmacies. NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association is extending its “The Truth” campaign, which resulted in 2.5 million impressions and more than 27,000 letters to state lawmakers in its first 12 weeks. Fully launched in January, The Truth seeks to educate state legislators, regulators, and patients about how pharmacy benefit managers operate in the shadows to
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association supports legislation reintroduced by Reps. Peter Welch (D, Vt.) and Morgan Griffith (R, Va.) that would give seniors more convenient access to discounted or “preferred” copays for prescription drugs at their pharmacy of choice. The Ensuring Seniors Access to Local Pharmacies Act (H.R. 2608) would also empower more seniors
