Community pharmacists urge reform during virtual fly-in
By HME News Staff
Updated 9:27 AM CDT, Thu April 22, 2021
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ALEXANDRIA, Va. – More than 300 community pharmacists participated in the National Community Pharmacists Association’s 2021 Congressional Pharmacy Fly-In, which was held virtually April 19-21. In visits with more than 250 Congressional offices, participants highlighted the contributions of independent pharmacies in the community’s fight against the coronavirus. They also urged 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. “Small business neighborhood pharmacies have been essential for their communities during the darkest days of the pandemic, and now they are saving America, one person at a time, as COVID-19 vaccinators,” said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, pharmacist, MBA. “More has been added to their plate and though they are rising to the occasion, broader industry pressures remain in place too, and many pharmacies are hanging on by a thread. We’re asking that policymakers be there for their local pharmacies in return and provide relief, or the pharmacies may not be here the next time citizens need their services.”
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