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Published Jan 15, 2025 • 3 minute read
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Washington, DC, Jan. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) issued the following statement after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published a second interim report this week on certain PBM practices and the impact vertically integrated businesses have on access to and the affordability of medications.
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NASP, representing all types of specialty pharmacies that support patients with significant and complex diseases (cancer, MS, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV, cystic fibrosis, organ transplantation, rare diseases, etc) thanks the FTC for it’s long-term study of PBM use of specialty drug lists, specialty drug policies, and practices that limit specialty pharmacy networks and steer specialty patients and drugs away from those specialty pharmacies that are not otherwise owned or affiliated by a PBM or their vertically integrated partners.
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NASP President and CEO Sheila Arquette, RPh stated, “This report and any actions to change laws and enforce current regulations has been a long time coming. While the voice of all non-affiliated specialty pharmacies — independent, hospital-based, retail, grocer-based, and others– can be heard in some of the FTC’s findings, we find ourselves asking ‘how many more reports and investigations are needed before Congress and an Administration take action?’ Underwater reimbursement to non-affiliated pharmacies, patient steering, and other deliberate efforts identified by the FTC to preclude accredited specialty pharmacies from network participation must be addressed. These actions limit patient access to the specialty pharmacies of their choice that patients rely on to manage their complex and often life threatening specialty diseases and conditions.”
“As Congress looks to rein in market manipulation, policy makers must continue to focus on increased transparency across the specilaty pharmacy channel, something that NASP has long advocated for and to better understand and recognize the importance of specialty pharmacy, how it differs from traditional retail pharmacy and mail order pharmacy, its availability beyond vertically-integrated pharmacies, and the operational and management requirements needed to support complex specialty patients. For many specialty patients, there are limited treatment options. The complexity of specialty medications may be due to the drug itself, the way it is administered, the management of its side effect profile and toxicity risks, the disease or rare condition it is used to treat, and the packaging, shipping and last mile logistics coordination needed to ensure the drug’s integrity is not compromised when shipped or sent by courier to prevent product waste and increased costs. Disease and drug management and services by a network of qualified, specialty-accredited pharmacies are essential to support patients. A network of such qualified pharmacies is critical whether in Part D or in commercial plan networks, to ensure patients have unfettered access to the medications and the appropriate guidance and pharmacy monitoring they need.”
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At the end of 2024, NASP expressed strong frustration and disappointment that final legislative efforts did not include PBM reform-related pharmacy protections. In the meantime, non-affiliated specialty pharmacy availability in Medicare Part D networks and commercial markets continues to be at risk, limiting patient access to the pharmacy of their choice, and continuing to allow for anticompetitive practices that threaten the financial solvency of local, regional and national specialty pharmacy businesses throughout the U.S.
“NASP calls on the 119th Congress and Trump Administration to take action without further delay and pass PBM reform-related pharmacy protections into law, including bipartisan legislation to enforce the any willing pharmacy statute to protect Part D pharmacy network participation,” said Sheila Arquette, NASP President and CEO.
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NASP represents all specialty pharmacy industry stakeholders. Specialty pharmacies serve communities of patients who have complex health conditions like cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, organ transplantation and rare diseases. Specialty pharmacies are accredited by an independent, third party nationally recognized accreditation organization ensuring consistent quality of extensive drug management and clinical patient care services.
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