NCPA announces LTC division
ALEXANDRIA, Va. The association dedicated to the nation's independent pharmacies is expanding with a new division dedicated to advancing the interests of independent long-term care pharmacy providers.
The National Community Pharmacists Association on Monday announced the creation of its long-term care pharmacies division, which "[will] target legislative and regulatory issues faced by pharmacies servicing LTC facilities." NCPA has tapped Susan Janeczko, a former clinician at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to serve as director of long-term care policy and regulatory affairs.
Under Janeczko’s direction, the group plans to continue and expand recent LTC advocacy efforts, including:
- Providing a community pharmacy perspective to CMS on the potential impacts of proposed short-cycle dispensing rules;
- Working to find a compromise on the LTC nurse-as-agent issue that ensures patients get needed medications in a timely manner; and
- Submitting recommendations to ensure the smooth implementation of e-prescribing rules in LTC settings.
Joseph Harmison, NCPA president and pharmacy owner, said the new division builds on NCPA's reputation as the go-to advocate for independent community pharmacies and their patients, enhancing its "LTC efforts to provide focused advocacy for independent LTC pharmacies."
"Independent LTC pharmacy providers’ interests do not always align with publicly traded competitors in this space," Harmison said. "Policy discussions are sometimes dominated by giant long-term care corporations. With the launch of this new division, that is no longer the case. NCPA looks forward to advocating for and partnering with independent LTC pharmacies through this initiative."