NACDS Calls Baucus Bill ''Must-Enact Legislation''

Hails AMP-cut delay, e-prescribing and Medicare Part D alert pay provisions

Alexandria, Va. (Vocus/PRWEB ) June 9, 2008 -- Today, National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) President and CEO Steven C. Anderson issued the account below afterward the addition of Senate legislation (S. 3101) by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), which contains key pharmacy provisions.

"Today marks an important footfall for the nation's pharmacies, but we accept a continued alley ahead. This bill is must-enact legislation, for pharmacies' vitality, patients' bloom and the bread-and-butter wellness of communities.

"The adjournment until September 2009 of Medicaid pharmacy agreement cuts will accommodate added time to accommodate a abiding band-aid to the pharmacy agreement model, which would balance pharmacies below amount for Medicaid prescriptions. It aswell removes approaching banking peril adverse abounding pharmacies.

"A contempo state-by-state bread-and-butter appulse study appear by NACDS and the Food Marketing Institute appear that added than 11,000 pharmacies could abutting civic due to these dramatic, below-cost cuts in the Medicaid agreement rates. These pharmacies anniversary for over 300,000 jobs and $31.1 billion in bread-and-butter output. This is acutely a healthcare affair and an bread-and-butter issue.

"The accouterment that requires alert payments for Medicare prescriptions aswell is important for pharmacies, which accept been accountable to lower and slower payments.

"We aswell are admiring that the legislation includes accoutrement that will animate physician acceptance of e-prescribing, a analytical bloom advice technology (HIT) arrangement that fosters defended two-way advice amid pharmacies and added healthcare providers, for the added medication analysis and assurance of patients.

"We are adverse the affected cease of pharmacies if this bill is not enacted. That agency bloom consequences, emergency allowance visits and adverse affliction if patients do not crop their medications, and absent bread-and-butter action and jobs in communities.

"We acclaim Chairman Baucus for introducing this important legislation. This added demonstrates his abutment of pharmacy on this issue, which aswell was reflected in his addition of the Fair Medicaid Drug Payment Act (S. 1951). We aswell acknowledge Senators Olympia Snowe (D-ME), Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) for their aboriginal co-sponsorship of S. 3101. We are committed to allowance to body connected and growing abutment in both parties, and at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, for this bill. The basal band is that it have to be enacted."

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) represents acceptable biologic stores, supermarkets and accumulation merchandisers with pharmacies. Its about 200 alternation affiliate companies cover bounded chains with a minimum of four food to civic companies. NACDS associates aswell cover about 1,000 suppliers of pharmacy and front-end products, and about 100 all-embracing associates apery added than 30 countries. Chains accomplish added than 39,000 pharmacies, and apply a absolute of added than 2.7 actor employees, including 118,000 pharmacists. They ample about 2.5 billion prescriptions yearly, and accept anniversary sales of over $750 billion. For added advice about NACDS, appointment www.NACDS.org.