Advocacy
Independent community pharmacists have no better or more effective advocate than NCPA on the issues that impact their patients and pharmacies.
Whether it's at Capitol Hill, state legislatures, regulatory agencies, or the courts, NCPA advocates for you on issues ranging from PBM abuses to your ability to practice to the full extent of your training.
Not sure how our advocacy efforts affect your pharmacy practice?
More information and resources on current federal and state issues and legislation, as well as on the engines that fuel our success can be found below:
COVID-19
Read letters and comments to the administration and Congress about issues concerning community pharmacy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal Priorities
NCPA v. Azar
NCPA is suing the government to end DIR fees. Doing so has been our top priority since 2014. We tried every year of the outgoing administration to persuade the Department of Health and Human Services to adopt new rules to remedy the problem. That effort nearly succeeded in 2019, only to have it die because of opposition from the White House. Having exhausted every effort to work through the legislative and regulatory processes, community pharmacies can wait no longer.
Pharmacy DIR Fees
An overwhelming majority of independent community pharmacy owners say that retroactive pharmacy direct and indirect remuneration fees undermine patient access to prescription drugs and hinder owners’ ability to manage their businesses.
Medicare
Community pharmacies provide cost-saving medication and pharmacy services to millions of Medicare Part B and D patients.
State Priorities
Resources and Information
Central location of documents, including 1-pagers, model legislative language, recent state legislative wins, and other information to further advance pro-patient and pro-pharmacy advocacy efforts in the states.
State-Specific Community Pharmacy Impact Fact Sheets
These fact sheets report the economic impact of independent pharmacy by state for the 2019 tax year. In presentations to policymakers, employers, and other groups, you'll find them useful in demonstrating the profound economic benefit of community pharmacy to your state's economy.
Medicaid managed care pharmacy payment reforms
State audits and studies are showing that Medicaid drug costs are increasing, and pharmacy reimbursements are decreasing. Something isn’t adding up. NCPA supports efforts to increase transparency and accountability and to ensure state oversight of Medicaid managed care programs.
Comprehensive PBM regulation
Over time, PBMs have been allowed to operate virtually unchecked. A lack of transparency in PBM practices is increasingly leading states — with NCPA’s support — to implement licensure/registration, fair pharmacy audit, or generic drug pricing legislation to try to level the playing field for pharmacies and patients.
Scope of practice and compensation for patient services
Community pharmacists are both medication experts and America’s most accessible health care providers. NCPA is committed to working with our members and state partners to remove the barriers preventing pharmacists from practicing to the top of their license and being compensated for patient care services.
Individual States
Click on the states to learn what community pharmacy-priority bills are active in legislatures throughout the country.
Legislative Action Center
Act Today
Independent Pharmacy Today
Independent pharmacies provide a variety of niche services, often unavailable otherwise, to meet specific health needs
Grassroots Toolkit
NCPA PAC
Legal Defense Fund
Legislative Action Center
Proposed legislation that directly affects Independent Pharmacies.
