National Community Pharmacists Association | Strategic Alliance Partners

Investigation finds massive middlemen significantly hike patient costs for lifesaving drugs, skim billions for themselves, and reimburse their own pharmacies more than their competitors.

Congress fumbled a chance to rein in big insurance and PBMs and save taxpayers billions, says NCPA

The big three PBMs rake in billions from government drug programs while patients pay more and small pharmacies are squeezed out, says NCPA

But Congress must ignore big insurance and the PBM lobby’s last-ditch effort to scuttle reforms and pass the continuing resolution

Given the unfair aspects of CVS’s arbitration clause, delegating to an arbitrator to decide whether the case has to be arbitrated is “unconscionable,” says federal judge

Tripp Logan, PharmD, reflects on being named Independent Pharmacist of the Year from the National Community Pharmacists Association.

Trent Thiede, PharmD, president of Pharmacy Audit Assistance Service (PAAS) International, discussed how pharmacy teams can remain prepared for audits from pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

Erin Rexroth, associate director of marketing for NCPA, discussed how pharmacies can utilize marketing strategies to drive awareness and patient engagement.

Nearly 19,000 independent pharmacies continue to work across the country, with more than 200,000 employees and millions of patients.

Nationally, 7 million women live in maternal health deserts, defined as counties with limited or no available obstetric care.

Changing the way pharmacists and pharmacy staff think about themselves is key, although providers, payers, and patients must also change how they view the value of pharmacy services.

With COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other viruses now circulating, the time for pharmacists to get up to date on the latest vaccine recommendations is now.

Legislative efforts in the states and Washington, DC, have made progress, but there is still a way to go.

CMS’ failure to require timely, sufficient pharmacy reimbursement will lead to closures not seen since the start of Part D and patients will suffer as a result.

Lowering prescription drug costs for patients, saving taxpayers money, helping small businesses level an anti-competitive playing field: all of this is at stake.

Rebates increase drug prices, says NCPA

As the end of this Congress approaches, the National Community Pharmacists Association is lobbying members to pass pharmacy benefit manager reforms.