News Releases
NCPA to Medicare: Proposed Changes to Long-Term Care Pharmacy Consultants Jeopardize Rural Health Care
Alexandria, Va. - Dec. 21, 2011 Changes proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) could create turmoil for independent community pharmacies providing long-term care (LTC) services and especially for those pharmacies in underserved, rural areas, the National Community Pharmacists Association's (NCPA) LTC Division said in comments filed with CMS recently.
NCPA Establishes Long-Term Care (LTC) Advisory Board, Expands LTC Programming for Pharmacists
Alexandria, Va. - Jan. 13, 2011 The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) today announced changes to help facilitate its new Long-Term Care (LTC) Division dedicated to advancing the interests of independent long-term care pharmacy providers and their patients.
First, NCPA has established an LTC advisory board to help address the business impact of proposed government policy on independents. The board will serve as a sounding board assisting NCPA in understanding the marketplace and the effect on long-term care residents. Members of the board include:
NCPA ANNOUNCES NEW DIVISION DEDICATED TO LONG-TERM CARE PHARMACIES, PATIENTS
Alexandria, Va. - Oct. 4, 2010 The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) today announced a new division of the association dedicated to advancing the interests of independent long-term care pharmacy providers.
"NCPA is recognized as the advocate for independent community pharmacies and their patients," said Joseph H. Harmison, PD, NCPA president and pharmacy owner in Arlington, TX. "We successfully fought for their interests on issues like scaling back major cuts in Medicaid generic drug reimbursement and ensuring prompt payment for retail pharmacies from Medicare Part D plans. Now, we're enhancing our LTC efforts to provide focused advocacy for independent LTC pharmacies."
NCPA Offers DEA Proposed Solution to Balance Patient Needs in Long-Term Care Facilities with Drug Diversion Concerns
Alexandria, VA - August 31, 2010 - The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) has proposed that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) create a new DEA registration sub-category within the "Institutional Practitioner" category in order to break a regulatory logjam that is delaying many seniors who reside in long-term care (LTC) facilities from getting timely access to medication to alleviate severe pain.
"The current system related to the lawful and prompt dispensing of controlled substances in long-term care facilities is broken," NCPA said yesterday in comments submitted to the DEA in response to the agency's request. "Recent changes in interpretation and enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act have made it more difficult to provide needed prescription drugs to LTC patients in a timely manner."
NCPA URGES RETURN TO COMMON-SENSE POLICY FOR PROVIDING LONG-TERM CARE RESIDENTS PAIN MEDICATIONS
Alexandria, Va. - March 24, 2010 The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) submitted a written statement today for the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing "The War on Drugs Meets the War on Pain: Nursing Home Residents Caught in the Crossfire" recommending the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) cease enforcement of its current interpretation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) until a reasonable compromise can be achieved. Community pharmacies, which provide prescription drug services for more than 50 percent of long-term care beds in America, are being constrained by the DEA's policy of disregarding the "nurse-as-agent" paradigm that expedites the approval process for controlled substance pain medications.
"We believe that the DEA is undermining the ability of pharmacists to address controlled substance pain medications needs in long-term care facilities in a timely manner, which can led to unnecessary suffering for residents with serious health challenges," said Bruce T. Roberts, RPh, NCPA executive vice president and CEO.
