NACDS: Senate Finance Committee work is essential to 'real' PBM reform at the Federal level

With the U.S. Senate Finance Committee’s release of additional PBM reform legislation and the Committee’s markup scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 8, NACDS president and CEO Steve Anderson released the following statement:

“NACDS’ message is clear: real PBM reform at the federal level must protect Americans on Medicare and Medicaid and their pharmacies. We commend the Senate Finance Committee’s bipartisan work to deliver on this unique moment of opportunity to reduce patient’s prescription drug costs, to defend patients’ access to medications and to pharmacies, and to confront abusive PBM tactics that jeopardize all Americans and all pharmacies. We look forward to continuing to work with the Committee and with the Congress to ensure the effectiveness of this legislation in achieving their well-focused intent." 

Anderson continued, “NACDS urges Congress to continue to stand strong on a bipartisan basis to confront the middlemen’s ‘pharmaceutical benefit manipulation’ in health care and in the legislative process. Past is prologue, and the PBMs will attack and complicate this straightforward and necessary legislation in predictable and misleading ways. For all Americans and for all pharmacies, Congress cannot allow the derailing – or the sabotage – of necessary reforms."

[Read more: Reforming PBM practices]

Anderson added, “The legislation to be considered this Wednesday complements aspects of the Modernizing and Ensuring PBM Accountability Act passed previously by the Committee. Together, the two bills include the Medicaid reforms in the NACDS-backed Protect Patient Access to Pharmacies Act; the Medicare reforms in the NACDS-backed Neighborhood Options for Patients Buying Medicines Act – including the must-have ability to ensure ‘reasonable and relevant’ PBM contract terms in Medicare; provisions for strong CMS enforcement; as well as provisions related to Medicare quality measures and transparency."

Anderson concluded, “Further, it is imperative that the Committee and the Congress stay focused on preventing the ‘pharmaceutical benefit manipulation’ that middlemen achieve by blasting through loopholes in legislation and regulation. NACDS will continue to work with the Committee and with the Congress to identify and prevent well-intended policies that could lead to further manipulation by the PBMs, which harms Americans and pharmacies of all types and sizes.”

[Read more: Fitting the bill: Pharmacy legislation tackles important issues]

The National Community Pharmacists Association also applauded the legislation. “PBM reforms are essential before it’s too late – not only for independent pharmacies, but also the patients who rely on them,” said Douglas Hoey, CEO of NCPA. “Congress has a lot of important work to do, but providing relief from PBM-insurer practices will benefit millions of patients and must not get punted. NCPA is grateful to Sens. Wyden and Crapo and the Finance Committee for continuing to push on this and are eager to help these changes get across the finish line.”

This article has been updated.