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ARLINGTON, VA.– The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) is hailing further progress in the U.S. Congress to confront “pharmaceutical benefit manipulation” by middlemen.
The advancement comes in the form of Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo’s (R-ID) introduction of the Modernizing and Ensuring PBM Accountability (MEPA) Act – described by the Senators as “a bill to bring more transparency, accountability and competition to pharmacy benefit manager practices in the pharmaceutical supply chain.”NACDS president and CEO Steven C. Anderson said: “For too long, middlemen have grabbed savings that belong to Americans, said ‘no’ to needed medications, and blocked people from their pharmacy. The Senate Finance Committee, on a bipartisan basis, is working for real reform for seniors and for the most vulnerable. Make no mistake, real PBM reform will put people over PBM profits – and for the U.S. Congress that means doing so for Americans on Medicare and Medicaid.“NACDS appreciates the clear priority that Chair Wyden and Ranking Member Crapo are placing on Medicare and Medicaid PBM reforms. NACDS remains committed to working with them throughout the process to help ensure Congress delivers the reforms needed to confront ‘pharmaceutical benefit manipulation’ – and to help ensure pharmacy access for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.”NACDS has circulated a video message by Anderson about the importance of real PBM reform.In July, NACDS lauded the Committee’s overwhelming and bipartisan passage of PBM reform concepts. Previously, in April, NACDS welcomed the bipartisan legislative framework for PBM reform initiated by Chair Wyden and Ranking Member Crapo.
