Senators Isakson, Johnson And Graham Introduce Bill Establishing Contract Fairness For Community Pharmacies & Patients

Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) introduced legislation today designed to rescue community pharmacies on a level playing field when negotiating contracts with the administrators of prescription drug plans - also called the chemist’s shop forward manager (PBMs). By restoring fairness to the in work community pharmacies are treated, patient access to medications prescribes by their doctors would be streamlined.

“It was President Theodore Roosevelt’s Sherman Anti-Trust Bill that established rules to protect shallow business from big corporations,” said NCPA supervisory vice president and CEO Bruce Roberts, RPh. “One hundred years later, some provisions of the anti-make law want adjustment to hearten protections as a service to our nation’s unsatisfactory charge owners. With the introduction of this bill, the community pharmacists bequeath continue to be viable members of the community, and I applaud these members of Congress for coming to their aid.”

The nib is called the Community Pharmacy Fairness Act of 2007. It creates a narrow freedom in the anti-corporation law that allows community pharmacists to aggregate their efforts in negotiating contracts with PBMs. Currently, publicly-traded drug hoard chains negotiate favorable contract terms with the PBMs, due to their assay in the marketplace, while the community pharmacies are offered non-negotiable contracts. In most instances community pharmacies are stilted to accept these economically disadvantageous terms. The contracts are constructed in a way that greatly limits unswerving choices in their prescription psychedelic coverage. Since community pharmacies over reside in underserved rural and thick urban areas with reduced fitness be attracted to options, the impact on patients can be especially acute.

The bill, which does not require any additional government funding, provides community pharmacies with the gifts to conclude contracts, therefore:

– Limiting the shrinking and shifting formularies that confine a patient’s treatment options employed by PBMs (formularies are the lists of drugs that are covered as regards distinct groups in a health warranty plan).

– Reducing the pre-authorization hassles with PBMs to obtain refills or formulary-restricted medications that generate red band and create hurdles for patients trying to obtain their medications.

– Curtailing the switching of patients to medications that may not be bettor for them therapeutically, but that deserve higher brand-name drug rebates suitable the PBM.

“The Community Druggist’s Fairness Performance of 2007 allows community pharmacies to deliver to their primary commission of helping patients get their medicines in an inexpensive, helpful, and prompt forge,” said NCPA President John Tilley, RPh, a pharmacy owner from Downey, Calif. “We urge Senator Kohl to hold out a hearing so that a belabour can be shone on the questionable practices of the PBM’s, who should not be able dictate terms and create boon profits throughout their shareholders on the backs of community pharmacies and patients.”

Senator Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) is chair of the Senate Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Business Rights and Meet. The introduction of the bill follows on the heels of prosperity with the buddy House tally that was introduced mould February. HR.971, which is also called The Community Apothecary Fairness Make believe of 2007, currently has 171 cosponsors, including Firm Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.).

The National Community Pharmacists Association, founded in 1898, represents the nation’s community pharmacists, including the owners of more than 23,000 pharmacies. The nation’s independent pharmacies, independent pharmacopoeia franchises, and excluding chains dispense scarcely half of the nation’s retail prescription medicines. To learn more go to http://www.ncpanet.org.