NCPA releases healthcare reform recommendations
ALEXANDRIA, Va. In an effort to ensure the patient care services of community pharmacies are properly incorporated into any changes that occur, the National Community Pharmacists Association on Tuesday released a series of recommendations on the direction healthcare reform might take.
Among the recommendations — incorporate pharmacy services, including medication therapy management services, into standard insurance benefits and make the retail pharmacy part of the “medical home” concept.
“Pharmacists have repeatedly demonstrated that the medication therapy management services they provide are able to improve the outcomes from medications, as well as save money for both patients and health plans.” the association stated. “Pharmacists achieve these goals by helping patients understand how to manage and use their medications, and [by] working with physicians to assure the most appropriate drugs are used, including lower-cost generics.”
NCPA also suggested that the Medicaid payment system be reformed.
“Assuring adequate payment for generic medications is especially important, since the average generic drug cost — about $25 — is one-fifth that of a brand-name drug. However, implementation of the [Deficit Reduction Act]-mandated Average Manufacturer’s Price-based system for Medicaid generic drug reimbursement … would be devastating to retail pharmacies,” the association argued. “We support proposed legislative changes to the DRA’s Medicaid generic drug reimbursement methodology that would assure that only prices paid by retail pharmacies are included in the calculation of AMP; that the Federal Upper Limits for generics are set at 300% of the weighted average AMP; and that AMPs are not made public so that the market place is not distorted by reporting of inaccurate or misunderstood AMP data. Related to Medicaid, we also ask Congress to take action to assure that pharmacies are paid adequately by states to dispense prescriptions, as well as to provide pharmacy services.”
Other recommendations made by NCPA include the formation of a regulatory body to govern pharmacy benefit managers; exclude diabetes supplies from current rules governing such Medicare-supported durable medical equipment as accreditation requirements, and a mandated surety bond of $50,000 for all DME suppliers seeking reimbursement under Medicare Part B; and enhance the ability of pharmacists to administer vaccinations and offer disease prevention and wellness programs.