The Senate Finance Committee passed America's Health Future Act, a health care reform bill that includes several provisions ensuring the ability of community pharmacies to continue providing critical services to patients.

In response, Bruce T. Roberts, RPh, National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Executive Vice President and CEO, issued the following statement:

"We commend the Senate Finance Committee, under the leadership of Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), for its work. Chairman Baucus understands the significant role community pharmacies play, and we appreciate his support.

"The bill's Medicaid generic reimbursement level is a very good start to protecting beneficiary access to community pharmacies while avoiding severe cuts that would do the opposite. We want to continue to work with the Senate and the Congress to assure that the level remains high enough for community pharmacies to continue to keep their doors open and provide pharmacy services to Medicaid patients. The exemption from Medicare's durable medical equipment accreditation regulation preserves seniors' access to diabetes testing supplies and other essential goods. Pharmacists are already state-licensed and other health care providers are exempted.

"The amendment from Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) will lead to transparency regarding the deals pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)?the administrators of prescription drug plans?reach with drug manufacturers. Currently, PBMs retain much of these payments before sharing the rest with employers and patients. PBM profits have ballooned?up 20 percent last year alone?at the expense of everyone else confronting higher insurance premiums. While PBMs claim transparency increases costs, a thorough analysis by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) deemed it budget neutral. Ultimately, savings will be found as a result of this transparency provision, as Medicare, the Pentagon, and the State of Texas are experiencing, among others.

"Now our attention turns to the melding of the separate Senate Finance and HELP committee bills into one bill that will be considered by the full Senate. While some portions of the bill do raise concerns for community pharmacies, we urge the Senate leadership to keep these and other pharmacy-friendly provisions in that bill, because they are also patient-friendly, and that's what everyone should be striving for if America's health care system is truly going to be reformed for the better."

The National Community Pharmacists Association, founded in 1898, represents the nation's community pharmacists, including the owners of more than 23,000 pharmacies.