A coalition of organizations representing pharmacies and
pharmacists across all practice settings released a statement today
ahead of a Tuesday, July 23 U.S.
House Committee on Oversight and Accountability on PBM middlemen
tactics.
ARLINGTON, Va., July 22,
2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A coalition of
organizations representing pharmacies and pharmacists across all
practice settings released a statement today ahead of a
Tuesday, July 23 U.S. House Committee
on Oversight and Accountability hearing titled, "The Role of
Pharmacy Benefit Managers in Prescription Drug Markets Part III:
Transparency and Accountability."
"Every day that passes without reform means
more dollars flowing to PBMs instead of reducing Americans'
prescription drug costs and safeguarding access to trusted and
convenient pharmacies."
The multi-association coalition, made up of the following groups
— the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the National
Community Pharmacists Association, the American Pharmacists
Association, the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy, FMI -
The Food Industry Association, the National Grocers Association,
the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations, and
Independent Pharmacy Cooperative — stated the following in their
letter:
"We write – firmly united – as pharmacies and pharmacists across
all practice settings.
"We extend our deepest gratitude and strongest encouragement for
your continued bipartisan scrutiny of the practices of some
market-dominant pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) middlemen that
inflate Americans' prescription drug costs, force pharmacy
closures, and block access to Americans' pharmacies of choice.
"Speaking with one voice, we also urge the U.S. Congress to send
to President Biden's desk this year the must-pass PBM reforms in
Medicare, Medicaid, and the commercial markets that at long last
would confront these harmful practices, and that have advanced on a
bipartisan basis in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S.
Senate.
"Throughout the Committee on Oversight and Accountability's
investigation, our organizations and individual members have
provided examples and insights about concerning PBM practices and
their harms. Pharmacies and pharmacists have experienced and warned
about these tactics for upwards of 15 years. Unabated and unchecked
by federal action, these tactics and their devastating effects have
escalated consistently and severely – and they have reached even
new extremes in 2024.
"As is now widely known, every day that passes without reform
means more dollars flowing to PBMs instead of reducing Americans'
prescription drug costs and safeguarding access to trusted and
convenient pharmacies.
"Thankfully, recognition of some dominant PBMs' devastating
practices today is prevalent among Republicans and Democrats,
conservatives and progressives, federal and state governments,
employers, unions, patient groups, providers, rural and urban
health advocates, and diverse media outlets.
"It is past time for action.
"Throughout the 118th Congress, we have articulated clearly
pharmacies' legislative priorities that are necessary to confront
the harms that are ravaging Americans and their pharmacies. The
following aspects of reform are absolutely necessary to ensure that
a reform package is effective and that it can be supported by
pharmacies:
- Medicaid managed care pharmacy payment reform and a ban on
spread pricing by requiring 100% pass-through to the pharmacy of
the ingredient cost and of the professional dispensing fee, which
could allow the federal government and states to save billions of
dollars.
o Ensuring fair and adequate Medicaid managed care pharmacy
reimbursement from PBMs to cover the cost to
acquire and dispense prescription drugs.
o Requiring National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC)
survey participation to help establish benchmarks for Medicaid
reimbursement to retail pharmacies which can be used to ensure fair
reimbursement to pharmacies in Medicaid managed care and in the
commercial markets.
- Requiring the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
to define and enforce "reasonable and relevant" Medicare Part D
contract terms, including information about reimbursement and
dispensing fees, and establishing in Medicare Part D an approach by
which "any willing pharmacy" can truly participate and serve
patients.
"These, along with additional policies have been the subject of
bipartisan and bicameral work across key committees of
jurisdiction, creating a robust package of Medicare, Medicaid, and
commercial market reforms that also include:
- Promoting transparency of insurer claims and reimbursement
information to the pharmacy, including independent audits and
enforcement measures in Medicare Part D.
"Again, we thank the Committee for its diligent investigation
and we urge the Congress' enactment this year of what should be
considered must-pass legislation: PBM reforms which the Congress
has developed and which Americans and their pharmacies desperately
await."
More information about the pharmacy organizations is available
online:
National Association of Chain Drug Stores
National Community Pharmacists Association
American Pharmacists Association
National Association of Specialty Pharmacy
FMI – The Food Industry Association
National Grocers Association
National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations
Independent Pharmacy Cooperative
Media Contact
Kathleen Bashur, NACDS,
703-837-4367, kbashur@nacds.org, https://www.nacds.org
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SOURCE NACDS