Retail Pharmacy Forms Coalition for Meaningful Medicaid Reform
Launches Ad Campaign Aimed at Congressional Budget Cuts
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Due to concerns about the potential impact of Medicaid budget cuts on healthcare, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) announced today the formation of the Coalition for Meaningful Medicaid Reform (CMMR). The Coalition will bring together members who share concerns about the current direction of Medicaid reform. A series of ads will begin to run tomorrow in order to express the Coalition's hope for meaningful changes to Medicaid.
"Congressional action on Medicaid appears imminent, and while we have few details about the shape Medicaid reform will take -- most of what we know, we don't like," said NACDS President and CEO Craig Fuller. "We appreciate that policy makers have worked diligently to find appropriate ways to reform Medicaid; however, we fear that billions of dollars in cuts are being targeted at the Medicaid benefits that support our nation's most vulnerable citizens. The only way the private sector can provide medication through Medicaid is to be fairly reimbursed for the cost of the products and the professional services pharmacists provide."
The Coalition's formation is a reflection of pharmacy's concern for the 50 million Americans who receive healthcare through their state Medicaid programs. Community pharmacy filled over 800 million Medicaid prescriptions in 2004, a number expected to increase in 2005 due to the addition of many Katrina evacuees to the Medicaid rolls.
"Community pharmacy has worked with state Medicaid programs to help implement cost savings and provide quality health care -- helping save tens of millions of dollars for states and the Federal Government," explained Bruce Roberts, Executive Vice President and CEO of NCPA. "Community pharmacy has been particularly successful in increasing the use of lower-cost generic medications. That is why we strongly believe that a critical ingredient in achieving Medicaid savings is the establishment of a new system that encourages generic drug dispensing to Medicaid recipients. We can help Congress achieve Medicaid savings if they will partner with community pharmacy instead of making ill-advised budget cuts that will jeopardize patient access."
"Any rational and meaningful reform of Medicaid's prescription drug program must recognize that one of the best ways to find significant savings is to increase generic drug utilization and address the true cost of Medicaid prescription drug spend," Fuller added.
Roberts concluded, "A successful Medicaid prescription drug program needs the support of America's 55,000 pharmacies and nearly 150,000 pharmacists who work with Medicaid patients every day. There are many ways to protect the financial future of the Medicaid prescription drug benefit without jeopardizing the future of community pharmacy."
The Coalition for Meaningful Medicaid Reform current membership list is available on the website and below (http://www.meaningfulmedicaidreform.org/).
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) represents the nation's leading retail chain pharmacies and suppliers, helping them better meet the changing needs of their patients and customers. Chain pharmacy operates more than 35,000 pharmacies, employs 120,000 pharmacists, fills more than 2.1 billion prescriptions yearly, and has annual sales of over $500 billion. Other members include more than 1000 suppliers of products and services to the chain drug industry. For more information about NACDS visit http://www.nacds.org/.
The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) represents the nation's community pharmacists, including the owners of more than 24,000 pharmacies. The nations' independent pharmacies, independent pharmacy franchise and, independent chains represent an $84 billion marketplace dispensing nearly half of the nation's retail pharmacy prescriptions. For more information about NCPA, visit http://www.ncpanet.org/.
Coalition for Meaningful Medicaid Reform Member List The National Association of Chain Drug Stores The National Community Pharmacists Association Horton &Converse Pharmacies Kerr Drug Marsh Supermarkets, Inc. Rite Aid Save Mart Pharmacy Lewis Drug CVS/pharmacy Walgreens Care Pharmacies Brooks-Eckerd Farmacias El Amal Fagen Pharmacy Price Chopper Discount Drug Mart Navarro Discount Pharmacies The National Council for State Pharmacy Association Executives Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association Wyoming Pharmacy Association Pharmacists Society of the State of New York Maryland Pharmacists Association Alabama Pharmacy Association Tennessee Pharmacists Association Utah Pharmaceutical Association South Dakota Pharmacists Association Ohio Pharmacists Association Oklahoma Pharmacists Association Oregon State Pharmacy Association Arkansas Pharmacists Association Illinois Pharmacists Association Kentucky Pharmacists Association Texas Pharmacy Association South Carolina Pharmacy Association Colorado Pharmacists Society Georgia Pharmacy Association, Inc. Nebraska Pharmacists Association Minnesota Pharmacists Association Kansas Pharmacists Association Connecticut Pharmacists Association Virginia Pharmacists Association North Dakota Pharmacists Association New Jersey Pharmacists Association Washington State Pharmacy Association Iowa Pharmacy Association
Pharmacists Association
Source: National Association of Chain Drug Stores; National Community
CONTACT: Michelle McKenna of National Association of Chain Drug Stores,
+1-703-837-4234; or Carol Cooke of National Community Pharmacists Association,
+1-703-838-2686
Web site: http://www.nacds.org/
http://www.ncpanet.org/
http://www.meaningfulmedicaidreform.org/
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