Pharmacists Weigh In, Say Competitive Bidding Will Limit Patient Access

ALEXANDRIA, Va.–Millions of Medicare beneficiaries would face
decreased access to DME if competitive bidding takes effect, the
National Community Pharmacists Association said last week.

In a statement issued by the NCPA, which represents more than
24,000 independent pharmacies in the U.S., the association said the
proposed competitive bidding program creates “huge administrative
burdens” for pharmacists, including mandatory accreditation.

“Pharmacists already are highly educated, licensed by the state
and uniquely qualified to serve as the medication and medical
device expert for their patients,” said NCPA Executive Vice
President and CEO Bruce Roberts. “To require an additional level of
accreditation to sell durable medical equipment such as diabetes
testing strips is unnecessarily burdensome and unfairly stacks the
deck against family pharmacies.”

CMS estimates that 90 percent of Medicare Part B suppliers, of
which pharmacies represent the largest portion, will seek
accreditation and participate in the bidding process.

However, a recent NCPA survey shows that only 31 percent of
community pharmacies in 10 of the metropolitan areas likely to be
affected by competitive bidding in 2007 said they intend to
participate in the program. Most cited concerns about the financial
requirement and administrative burden of the bidding process and
accreditation. The association estimated initial accreditation is
expected to take 70 hours to complete and cost $7,000 to
$17,000.

The competitive bidding proposal is “short-sighted,” Roberts
said. “The long-term effects will be a dramatic decrease in
beneficiaries’ access to their local community pharmacy, resulting
in under-utilization of prescribed medications and supplies and
higher health care costs. This program is not at all in our
patients’ best interests.”

Also last week, the NCPA announced that it has joined the
National Association of Chain Drug Stores to create a lobbying body
called the Coalition for Community Pharmacy Action. According to a
press release, “all of the nation’s 55,000 community
pharmacies–both chain and independent–will be represented with a
single voice on legislative and regulatory issues of common
interest.”