Senators urge Mattis to implement TRICARE pharmacy pilot

WASHINGTON — Twenty-one senators recently sent a letter to Defense Sec. James Mattis, encouraging him to implement the TRICARE Acqisition Cost Parity Pilot Program for Retail Pharmacy.

The program, which would restore access to chain and independent pharmacies for TRICARE beneficiaries — who currently have to obtain non-generic medications through mail-order pharmacies or military treatment facilities — and is included in the 2017 budget, which requires the pilot to begin by Oct. 1. The letter from the senators urged Mattis to implement the pilot sooner rather than later to maximize cost savings.

“Cost savings would be achieved through the elimination of the acquisition cost disparity among pharmacy service locations by giving the [Dept. of Defense] the authority to require that brand medications dispensed in the retail setting be purchased at the much lower rate it currently pays for the same medications dispensed in mail or MTF,” the letter said. “This change will save the DoD money through both lower purchasing costs and reduced administrative costs.”

Making the case for this pilot program has been among the top priorities of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores who praised the move on Monday.

“NACDS is grateful for Congress’s involvement in advancing this worthwhile and timely program,” NACDS president and CEO Steve Anderson said. “We thank Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Senator Gary Peters, D-Mich. — both of whom serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee — for leading the effort on this letter, and we also thank all those who signed it. This pilot comes at an essential moment in the healthcare discussion and has the potential to be truly beneficial for our military families and veterans, while also reducing costs for the Department of Defense.”