Palms Pharmacy in Tampa, Fla. hosted Brian Nathan, a Democratic member of the Florida Senate, for a visit last week. Nathan heard firsthand from CEO Shahida Choudhry about the pharmacy’s experiences with negative reimbursements and the financial losses they were causing. She said the visit clearly left an impact on Nathan.
“I think the senator was genuinely surprised by the numbers and the reality that independent pharmacies are fighting just to break even while continuing to care for our patients,” Choudhry said. “We look forward to continuing to work with Senator Nathan on fair pharmacy reimbursements and finally achieving pharmacist provider status in Florida.”
Nathan and Choudhry also discussed possible reforms to Florida Medicaid’s renewal process. Months earlier, Nathan helped resolve an issue Palms was having with its renewal after the pharmacy reached out to his office directly — a testament to the importance of keeping a direct line of communication with your state legislators.
“They are there to listen, advocate, and help make a difference. Sometimes all it takes is picking up the phone,” Choudhry said.
There’s nothing like an in-person visit by a legislator to impress on them the need for policy change. NCPA’s Month of Action initiative will help you connect with your members of Congress to support change at the federal level. You can learn more and find resources on how to get involved here, or contact Michael Rule at Michael.rule@ncpa.org for information on how to extend an invitation.
