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The American Society for Pharmacy Law (ASPL) is an organization of attorneys, pharmacists, pharmacist-attorneys and students of pharmacy or law who are interested in the law as it applies to pharmacy, pharmacists, wholesalers, manufacturers, state and federal government and other interested parties. ASPL is a non-profit which encourages diversity & inclusion with the Society, regardless of differing backgrounds, perspectives, experiences, orientations, origins, and practice settings. The Society embraces participation and diversity as it leads to advancing our purpose:
Latest NewsOctober 22, 2024 Independent Pharmacies Reluctant to Stock Drugs in Medicare Negotiation Program, New Survey Shows A new national survey conducted by the National Community Pharmacists Association showed that more than 90 percent of independent pharmacists may not sell drugs for which the Medicare Part D program is trying to negotiate lower prices. NCPA conducted this survey from Sept. 24-Oct. 11, 2024, sending it out to approximately 4,135 independent pharmacy owners and managers, with approximately 465 responding. According to the survey, 51 percent of respondents say they are strongly considering not stocking the drugs because of the potential underwater reimbursements from pharmacy benefit managers. Another 40 percent of respondents say they are somewhat considering not stocking the medications. The Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program starts for ten drugs in January 2026. NCPA estimates pharmacies that dispense drugs in the program will have to tie up $27,000 of their own money every month to stock the drugs and then wait a month or more for manufacturer refunds to make the pharmacy whole. For many pharmacies, the resulting cash flow crunch will be too much for them to absorb in an already difficult payment environment In the NCPA survey, 73 percent say they have not yet finalized their Medicare Part D contracts for 2025, and they don’t know which plans they’ll be in. Additionally, ninety-five percent of pharmacists who dispense GLP-1s say they lose money on the drugs, according to the survey. Fourteen percent of pharmacists no longer stock them at all, and another 59 percent are considering not dispensing them. [Report for Fall Survey of Independent Pharmacy Owners/Managers. NCPA Oct 2024.]
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