NCPA Statement in Response to President Bush's FY 2009 Budge...( ALEXANDRIA Va. Feb. 4 --- Presid...),Health

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --- President George W. Bush today submitted his budget proposal to Congress for fiscal year 2009. In response Bruce Roberts, RPh, executive vice president and CEO of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) issued the following statement:

"President Bush's efforts to rein in government spending places a dangerous target on health care, and even more specifically the Medicare and Medicaid programs. While fiscal restraint is important and necessary, programs to support this nation's elderly and impoverished should be preserved, especially in the area of Medicaid generic prescription drug reimbursements.

"A patient's medical needs don't diminish just because their community pharmacy is threatened. In underserved rural and urban communities these patients lack options other than expensive emergency rooms and doctors' offices. The proposed savings are fictional. If adopted, the health care costs would actually rise because community pharmacies would not be there for their patients.

"We urge Congress to reject, as it has the last two years, this ill-advised gutting of Medicaid. We also hope the Democrat and Republican nominees for President will make sure to include policies in their health care proposals that do not hurt the small business, community pharmacy owners that so ably serve their patients on the front lines of America's health care system."

BACKGROUND:

For the third year in a row President Bush has sought to limit the Federal Upper Limit (FUL) pharmacies receive for participating in this program that provides economically disadvantaged Americans with their medication needs. The number has been reduced from 250% to 150% of Average Manufacturer price (AMP). This reduction significantly limits the ability of small business owners to serve their communities and patients. The Government Accountability Office has already calculated that a FUL reimb
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