U.S. Senate Votes in Favor of H.R. 6331( Bill Includes Three Provisions Th...),Health

Bill Includes Three Provisions That Protect Patient Access To Community Pharmacies

ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Senate today voted by unanimous consent in favor of H.R. 6331. The Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 contains three critical provisions for community pharmacies: accelerated reimbursements for Medicare Part D claims, delayed cuts to Medicaid generic prescription drug reimbursement, and suspension of the flawed Medicare DMEPOS (durable medical equipment, prosthetics and supplies) competitive bidding program. In response Bruce T. Roberts, RPh, executive vice president and CEO of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), issued the following statement:

"Community pharmacies across the country applaud the U.S. Senate for voting today in favor of patient access to life-saving prescription drugs and counsel from their pharmacists.

Those Senators who voted today now represent a veto-proof majority. We urge President Bush to recognize the importance of this legislation and quickly sign it into law."

The National Community Pharmacists Association, founded in 1898, represents the nation's community pharmacists, including the owners of more than 23,000 pharmacies. The nation's independent pharmacies, independent pharmacy franchises, and independent chains dispense nearly half of the nation's retail prescription medicines. To learn more go to http://www.ncpanet.org.