In two weeks hundreds of independent community pharmacists will convene in Washington for NCPA’s Legislative Conference meeting.
Indeed, it’s critical for pharmacists to come to Washington May 7-9 and speak up.
Following the Federal Trade Commission’s refusal to block an Express Scripts-Medco merger, important pharmacy bills pending in Congress and state legislatures have become even more important. They would both mitigate the merger’s harm to patients and pharmacists as well as enhance consumer choice and pharmacy competition across-the-board.
A heavyweight list of D.C. and state policymakers has agreed to speak at NCPA’s meeting and to hear first-hand from pharmacists their concerns and those of their patients. The roster includes the heads of Medicare and Medicaid; Committee Chairmen, Ranking Members and other top lawmakers; key congressional staff; and the head of the Department of Defense’s TRICARE pharmacy program, among other officials.
NCPA members can click here to learn more and register to attend.
It’s an election year, which can slow down the legislative process but sets the table to make 2013 a major year for independent pharmacy issues. But pharmacists must get engaged now; waiting till next year could be one year too late.
We hope to see NCPA members in Washington soon.
I can’t wait to see how many people at the FTC involved with the approval of this merger end up with cushy executive positions in this new company.