NCPA and Pharmacy Allies Demand Action
on Pharmacy DIR Fees

This week, NCPA along with American Pharmacists Association, FMI- the Food Industry Association, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, National Association of Specialty Pharmacy and National Grocers Association sent a letter to HHS Sec. Alex Azar to demand action on pharmacy DIR fees. The organizations noted that failure to enact pharmacy DIR reform along with the rebate rule called for in President Trump’s recent Executive Order will be disastrous for patients and pharmacies. The organizations also noted that eliminating retroactive pharmacy DIR fees would save Medicare beneficiaries at least $7 billion in reduced cost sharing over 10 years. Eradication of pharmacy DIR fees remains NCPA’s top priority and has been the focus of numerous previous meetings and calls with CMS, members of Congress and the administration. NCPA will continue to aggressively advocate for this reform.

HEALS Act Introduced in Senate

This week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) unveiled the Republican coronavirus relief legislation, the HEALS Act. The legislation would shield essential small businesses from opportunistic lawsuits, provide additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program and offer tax credits to offset costs of safety precautions, which are all priorities that NCPA has been advocating for with its Essential campaign. NCPA urged Congress to swiftly negotiate a final package that maintains these provisions and also provides or ensures hazard pay and lets pharmacists administer tests and vaccines. With the HEALS Act introduced, negotiations between Republicans and Democrats can begin in earnest, and it is expected that it may take several weeks before a final deal comes together to be enacted in August. Contact your legislatorsand urge them to support inclusion of NCPA’s Essential priorities.

NCPA Endorses Liability Protection Legislation

This week, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), along with Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) introduced S. 4317, the Safeguarding America’s Frontline Employees To Offer Work Opportunities Required to Kickstart the Economy (SAFE TO WORK) Act, to temporarily limit liability for COVID-19 exposure claims for frontline workers like nurses, doctors, teachers, and small business owners as long as they are following public health guidelines and are not grossly negligent. This legislation was also included in the HEALS Act as McConnell has made liability protections a redline for Republicans in agreeing to another COVID-19 relief package. NCPA joined with the coalition of convenience stores, grocers, and other essential businesses who have been advocating for this protection to send a letter of support for the SAFE TO WORK Act.

COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Declaration Renewed

Effective July 25, HHS Secretary Alex Azar has extended the nationwide COVID-19 public health emergency that was declared earlier this year for an additional 90-day period.

FDA to Require Opioid Drug Labels
to Include Information on Naloxone

FDA announced in a July 23 Drug Safety Communication that providers should discuss the availability of naloxone to all patients who are prescribed opioid pain relievers, and consider prescribing it to patients who are at increased risk of opioid overdoes, such as patients who are also using benzodiazepines or other medicines that depress the central nervous system, have a history of opioid use disorder (OUD), or who have experienced a previous overdose.

NCPA Represented at USP Stakeholder Engagement Roundtable

This week, Rich Moon of Pharmacy Innovations, represented NCPA at the USP Stakeholder Engagement Roundtable Session on Beyond-Use Date (BUD) Provisions under USP General Chapters <795> and <797>. The participating stakeholders focused on suggested modifications for the Expert Committee to consider the existing BUD framework and any provisions for future extensions. NCPA appreciates the willingness of USP to hear comments and engage in a dialogue to ensure any expansion of BUDs is based in science and maintains patient access.

NCPA Provides Feedback to USP on Biosimilar Naming

In a joint letter with NACDS, NCPA shared the perspectives and concerns of community and long-term care pharmacists in response to USP’s request for stakeholder feedback on their proposal regarding biologics nomenclature. Naming policies for biological and biosimilar drugs have significant patient safety implications, and NCPA supports nomenclature consistent with the naming conventions for brand and generic small molecule drugs, which promotes confidence in biologicals.

Have You Registered for the 2020 NCPA Annual Convention?

The NCPA 2020 Annual Convention will take place Oct. 17-20 in Nashville, Tenn. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to connect with your colleagues and attend programming that will provide you with all the information needed to answer your frequently asked questions regarding social media, audits, natural products, medical at home and a host of other topics. Click here to register if you have not yet done so. For more, view the preliminary convention schedule.

Help NCPA tell your story by completing
the Annual Census Survey

NCPA’s Annual Census Survey is now open. This is your chance to be part of the bigger story to enable NCPA to communicate to legislators, regulators, the media, and patients the important role independent pharmacies play in their communities. All we need is 8-9 minutes of your time, and you can take the census on your mobile phone, tablet, or desktop computer. Please complete by Friday, Aug. 21.

NCPA State Legislative Activity Update

NCPA tracks state legislation related to our top three state priorities: Medicaid reform, scope of practice and compensation for services, and PBM reform and regulation. Click each issue for a report of bills that have been introduced so far this session specifically dealing with these three issue areas. You can access the individual bill language and basic information on the bill by clicking on the bill numbers in the attached report. Bills that have moved this week are listed at the top in the “Recently Updated” section.

NCPA’s Advocacy Center Update provides a weekly detailed summary of recent and breaking legislative, regulatory, and state developments impacting independent community pharmacy and NCPA’s efforts to affect policies benefitting its membership and the industry. The weekly update is distributed to NCPA leadership, steering committees, allied organizations/stakeholders and major contributors to the NCPA LDF and PAC