Article | NACDS

House Provider Status Bill Expected Soon

admin2017-01-19T14:17:25-05:00Categories: Article|Tags: Provider_Status|

NACDS continues to make progress on advancing provider status in the 115th Congress. Last week, The Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act (S. 109) was reintroduced with the bipartisan original co-sponsorship of more than a quarter of the Senate.

The cosponsors would like the bill to retain its number from the previous Congress—H. R. 592.

The return of the legislation in the House is expected shortly, where the bill currently has more than 100 original cosponsors. The cosponsors would like the bill to retain its number from the previous Congress—H. R. 592. In order to do that, the cosponsors will need to introduce the legislation right after a bill numbered H.R. 591, which should not take too long. The House is not in session this week, so it’s possible the bill could be formally reintroduced in the House next week.

Senate Sets in Motion Steps to Repeal Healthcare Law

admin2017-01-13T11:36:23-05:00Categories: Article|Tags: Reform|

The Senate voted 51 to 48 early Thursday morning to approve a budget resolution that provides a blueprint for House and Senate committees to begin working on legislation that would repeal key portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The Senate action is largely procedural and lays the groundwork for a special kind of legislation called a reconciliation bill, which will be immune to Democratic filibuster. Senate Democrats staged a rare late-night protest against repealing the ACA on the Senate floor, forcing a series of votes known as a “vote-a-rama,” and expressed concern that millions of Americans are at risk of losing healthcare coverage.

The bill will now go to the House of Representatives for a vote expected to take place on Friday.

NACDS and allied associations continue to advocate for a pro-patient and pro-pharmacy approach to any related modifications to pharmacy reimbursement in government programs.

Senate Floor Update: Budget Amendment Results on Importation

admin2017-01-13T11:34:24-05:00Categories: Article|Tags: Medications|

There was a close vote on drug importation on the Senate floor during Wednesday’s frenzied “vote-a-rama” as the Senate conducted budget resolution proceedings.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) offered an amendment to allow American individuals, pharmacists, and wholesalers to import drugs from Canada. NACDS weighed in through in-person lobbying and a letter to every Senate office, outlining concerns that allowing personal or wholesale importation of prescriptions drugs to the U.S. raises significant safety concerns. The non-binding amendment was ultimately not agreed to, with a vote of 46-52. Of interest, 13 Senate Democrats voted against the amendment, and 12 Senate Republicans voted for it.

NACDS will keep a close eye on this issue, especially given the narrow margin of the vote and shifting dynamics suggested by the cross-party voting.

NACDS Previews “Pharmacy Outlook 2017” in Chain Drug Review Call to action includes engagement in NACDS RxIMPACT Day on Capitol Hill

admin2017-01-11T14:32:53-05:00Categories: Article|Tags: Congress, Provider_Status, Reform, Reimbursement, RxIMPACT|

The opening line of an NACDS-authored article in the January 2, 2017, edition of Chain Drug Review says it all. “I will spare you the introductory paragraph that attempts eloquence,” writes NACDS President & CEO Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE. “Let’s get right to the point. In NACDS’ view, 2017 could be one of the most pivotal years in healthcare policy and in pharmacy patient care.”

NACDS already is waging a two-front campaign related to the ACA.

While NACDS’ article on the policy outlook for the coming year has become somewhat of an annual tradition, its content this time around is decidedly untraditional. For example, Anderson noted the importance of continuing to bird-dog the implementation of pharmacy provisions of the Affordable Care Act and its subsequent Executive Branch rules, while at the same time advocating for pharmacy’s perspective amid emerging efforts to somehow repeal and replace the law.

“NACDS already is waging a two-front campaign related to the ACA,” Anderson noted.

The article also describes NACDS’ work on issues related to provider status for pharmacists; scope of practice; TRICARE and more. In addition, Anderson urges participation in NACDS RxIMPACT grassroots programs, which have become essential to telling pharmacy’s story to government leaders and to earning progress on a pro-patient and pro-pharmacy agenda.

Calling on pharmacy advocates to match the amazing results of the 2016 NACDS RxIMPACT Day on Capitol Hill – when they met with 90 percent of the U.S. Congress – Anderson declared that “pharmacy’s engagement is needed to defend and advance pharmacy patient care.”

The 2017 NACDS RxIMPACT Day on Capitol Hill will be held March 14 and 15 in Washington, D.C.

The article that starts with a plain-spoken assessment of the public policy stakes in 2017 concludes with similar candor regarding the importance of NACDS’ flagship grassroots advocacy event: “For the good of your business and the patients you serve, you need to be there – perhaps like never before.”

Senate Makes First Move on ACA Deconstruction

admin2017-01-06T13:17:42-05:00Categories: Article|Tags: Medicaid, Reform, Reimbursement|

The Senate Budget Committee has made the first move in changing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as we know it.

On Tuesday, the panel – chaired by Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) – introduced a resolution that provides “reconciliation instructions” to various Senate and House committees, essentially allowing the panels to take apart the ACA as expeditiously as possible and with only a simple-majority vote.

Under the resolution, the House Ways and Means Committee, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, would report legislation by January 27 to the Budget Committee in their respective chambers of Congress. The legislative provisions would be melded into bills that would be considered by the full House and by the full Senate.

All of this could be set into motion by potential votes on the budget resolution in the House and Senate next week.

NACDS and allied associations continue to advocate for a pro-patient and pro-pharmacy approach to any related modifications to pharmacy reimbursement in government programs.

President Obama Signs Law Including NACDS-Backed TRICARE Provisions; Focus Turns to Implementation of Pilot

Chris Krese2017-01-06T13:14:29-05:00Categories: Article|Tags: TRICARE|

With President Obama’s signature, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 became law on December 23, 2016.

Urging implementation will require a significant advocacy push, similar to that which resulted in the authorization of the pilot in the new law.

The law includes the NACDS-supported “Pilot Program for Prescription Drug Acquisition Cost Parity in the TRICARE Pharmacy Benefits Program.” If implemented as intended, the pilot could provide military families and veterans with the choice of how they get their medications and will also lower program costs.

The law also includes no new copayment increases, which also is in the interest of pharmacy choice and access for beneficiaries. Copayment increases had been requested by the Administration and were included in the Senate’s version of the legislation, but were omitted from the final House-Senate negotiated bill.

When details of the final legislation were announced on December 2, 2016, NACDS said, “This is a great day for the TRICARE program and for the military families and veterans who rely on their local pharmacies.”

NACDS now is reaching out to the Department of Defense and the Office of Management and Budget to urge implementation of the important pilot program. Urging implementation will require a significant advocacy push, similar to that which resulted in the authorization of the pilot in the new law.

NACDS, Stakeholders Urge Congress to Support Provider Status Bill

admin2016-12-14T15:27:41-05:00Categories: Article|Tags: Provider_Status|

NACDS is proactively urging support in the 115th Congress for the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act (H.R. 592/S. 314), which would increase access to state-approved pharmacy services for underserved Medicare patients.

The letter provides compelling reasons to support the bill, noting that with 30 million Americans set to enroll in Medicare over the next two decades, it will be harder for patients to access care in their communities…

As part of The Patient Access to Pharmacists Care Coalition, NACDS RxIMPACT launched a membership-wide grasstops campaign to encourage NACDS member companies to build congressional support for the re-introduction of the legislation in January 2017. There is also a letter currently circulating in the House of Representatives from Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) urging their colleagues to support the legislation by becoming original cosponsors of the bill, which at the end of the 114th Congress had 296 cosponsors in the House and 51 in the Senate, an excellent show of bipartisan and bicameral support.

When the 115th Congress convenes in January, it will welcome 63 newly-elected members of Congress from 28 states. The letter provides compelling reasons to support the bill, noting that with 30 million Americans set to enroll in Medicare over the next two decades, it will be harder for patients to access care in their communities and the impact will be felt by those who can least afford it: the nation’s medically underserved populations. Emphasizing pharmacy’s untapped potential for underserved populations, the letter states that 86 percent of Americans live within five miles of a pharmacy.

There are currently nine cosponsors in the Senate and 35 in the House who have agreed to cosponsor the legislation in the 115th Congress.

Understanding Millennial Engagement and Advocacy

admin2016-12-14T15:23:31-05:00Categories: Article|Tags: Retail|

Last month, Achieve, a research and marketing agency for causes, released The Millennial Impact Report Retrospective: Five Years of Trends. The study provides insight into millennials’ attitudes towards cause-engagement, volunteering, and donations.

It also includes overviews of the platforms and channels that millennials use for interactions with organizations.

The study’s 2016 post-election survey of millennials found that 78 percent of millennial survey respondents reported voting in the presidential election and that their top three issues were employment/wages (32 percent), the economy (29 percent) and—significantly—healthcare (27 percent). The retrospective and the upcoming 2016 research are a useful guide for developing millennial outreach strategies.

New Political Landscape Calls for Maximum Grassroots Engagement

admin2016-11-18T13:26:04-05:00Categories: Article|Tags: RxIMPACT|

The recent elections caused many political shifts, including the loss of nearly 40 cosponsors of provider status legislation—the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act (H.R. 592/S. 314).

Now is the time to tap into the power that constituents have with their elected leaders.

The legislators, representing 17 states, will not be returning when the new Congress convenes in 2017, which presents an even more pressing need to make your voice heard in Washington D.C. by attending the ninth annual NACDS RxIMPACT Day on Capitol Hill, March 14-15, 2017. The political landscape has changed, and with change comes the opportunity to tell pharmacy’s story to new legislators and make the case for federal recognition of pharmacists, among other legislative priorities.

The good news? Advocates representing 45 states—a record for the event—have already registered. Be sure and add your strength to the numbers. Now is the time to tap into the power that constituents have with their elected leaders. NACDS RxIMPACT Day on Capitol Hill brings together more than 350 pharmacy executives, pharmacists, students and other pharmacy leaders to meet the new Congress, highlight the value of pharmacy and make a mark on history.

Register today to join advocates who have already registered from 45 states!

Get Smart about Antibiotics During Get Smart Week—November 14-20

admin2016-11-15T15:18:24-05:00Categories: Article|Tags: NACDS_Foundation|

In recognition of antibiotic stewardship programs across the care continuum, the NACDS Foundation supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) annual one-week observance—Get Smart Week, November 14–20—to raise awareness about the threat of antibiotic resistance and the importance of appropriate antibiotic prescribing.

The CDC has made combating antibiotic resistance a top priority and is partnering with public institutions and private industry to overcome this challenge.

The CDC has made combating antibiotic resistance a top priority and is partnering with public institutions and private industry to overcome this challenge. The agency has created resources for the initiative, including a Get Smart Week toolkit, fact sheets and other resources, a social media campaign and a partner page where stakeholders can share their plans for the week.

The National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria aims to reduce inappropriate outpatient antibiotic use by 50 percent by 2020. The NACDS Foundation is committed to working with the CDC and other stakeholders to partner in addressing this important public health issue.

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