Dear Colleague,
As I write this, many of you in the middle of the country may be digging out from a blizzard, and the East Coast is about to get slammed by the same storm system. We've been having a different kind of blizzard here in D.C. — the figurative kind — involving health care policy. Independent pharmacy is right in the middle of it.
Last week, President Trump announced his Great Health Care Plan, aimed at bringing down health care costs. He talked again about TrumpRx, a website where patients can access brand-name drugs at discounted prices. While we strongly support the goals of expanding access and cutting out the PBMs, we cautioned the president against anything that would diminish the patient-pharmacist relationship. We met with the White House this week and got some clarification. They very much want independent pharmacies to be involved in what they say will be a clearinghouse linking patients to manufacturers. We told them that many of you are already getting questions from your patients, and that independent pharmacies would be critical to the program's success. There will be more details to come, and we will keep you posted.
In the meantime, the president's plan also targets the indefensible kickback scheme between PBMs and brokers. It's a pay-to-play racket, where PBMs pay some brokers to steer employers to health plans that benefit them. This obvious conflict of interest is one of many PBM practices that drive up costs, and we're glad the president wants to end it.
Also last week, I represented independent pharmacy at an event at the White House promoting the Rural Health Transformation Program. That initiative gives states $50 billion to develop programs for improving health care outcomes. The fact that they reached out to NCPA is encouraging. It shows that they understand that independent pharmacists are often the only accessible health care provider in many areas of the country.
And the biggest news of the last week is that Congress introduced a funding bill that includes one of NCPA members' biggest priorities: requiring reasonable and relevant contract terms in the Medicare Part D program. It also creates a mechanism for independent pharmacies to report PBM contract violations. As we said in a statement, this would be the most important reform of the Medicare Part D program in two decades and is an important milestone in reforming Medicare Part D — arguably the biggest culprit expanding pharmacy deserts. NCPA has been fighting for this for years, and we are extremely grateful to Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) for fighting to include these provisions in the bill.
That bill passed the House yesterday by a wide margin, 341-88. In the leadup to the vote, NCPA, community pharmacists, patients, and all the advocates worked the phones tirelessly, urging House members to pass it. The Senate could pass it as early as next week, sending it to the president for his signature. So, for the next couple of weeks, we'll be running a full court press and asking for your grassroots help to get it over the finish line.
It's no accident that independent pharmacy is at the center of all this activity. We have a very hard-working team on Capitol Hill, and most of all, you and your colleagues have been extremely active in the last several years. Grassroots action is the key to it all, and NCPA members do it better than almost anyone. For continuous updates, check in regularly on social media @commpharmacy. Thank you for all your support.
Best,
B. Douglas Hoey, Pharmacist, MBA
NCPA CEO
P.S.: While we're talking about grassroots, I would note that fly-in registration is now open. Speaking with your members of Congress is one of the most direct ways you can contribute to our advocacy. You can learn more at ncpa.org/congressional-pharmacy-fly.
