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Impact of Deficit Reduction Act May Close Pharmacy Doors |
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From Pharmacy Access Partnership: Communities nationwide could face the strong possibility of losing their local pharmacies, if federal legislation falls by the wayside. The Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) proposes higher prescription drug costs and lower Medicaid reimbursement rates for pharmacies, among other issues. According to a report from the Government Accountability Office in December 2006, the DRA proposes reimbursing pharmacists 36 percent less than the actual cost to purchase many of Medicaid's most expensive - and most commonly used - products. Ultimately, these policy changes will have the hardest impact on low-income communities and students, who may no longer be able to obtain contraceptives and other critical prescription products at discounted rates. Additionally, reduced reimbursement rates could have a significant impact on pharmacies' ability to continue to provide services to low-income clients over the long term. We will continue to monitor the developments of the DRA as relates to pharmacy reimbursement and contraceptive access at the state and national levels and educate consumers about this important issue. Pharmacy Access Partnership was established in 1999 as a center of the independent, nonprofit Public Health Institute. Its purpose is to expand consumer access to contraceptive commodities and reproductive health services in pharmacies, and to give pharmacies a stronger role in promoting community health.
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