CMS decided to “kick the can down the road” on DIR fees at this time, but noted that the President’s Fiscal Year 2019 Budget included language that all price concessions should be at the point-of-sale. CMS believes the statute provides them with discretion to require that Part D sponsors apply at least a portion of the manufacturer rebates and all pharmacy price concessions they receive to the price of a Part D drug at the point of sale. Any new requirements regarding the application of rebates at the point of sale will be proposed through notice and comment in future rulemaking.

As a reminder to all IPC stores, you have until the close of business Tuesday, January 16, 2018 to submit your comments to The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) supporting its proposed rule that ends the retroactive DIR fees by requiring the PBMs to apply all pharmacy price concessions, including DIR fees, to the price of the drug at the point of sale.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that includes a number of changes that, if finalized, will ensure that Part D Medicare enrollees have access to more affordable prescription drugs and more robust prescription drug coverage at the pharmacy they prefer. The rule also gives health plans a new tool to combat the opioid crisis.

Though Amazon’s pharmacy involvement could presumably disrupt both business-to-business and business-to-consumer sectors of the pharmaceutical supply chain, it is most likely to initially enter into the medical device or cash prescription business. It was disclosed this week that in at least two of the states that Amazon had applied for wholesale drug/device distribution licenses that the company didn’t intend on selling prescription drugs.

U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today previewed new legislation that will empower patients and promote transparency by requiring the pharmaceutical industry to provide more information about the cost of drugs in their advertisements.

While the prospect of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act remains uncertain in Congress, there are other federal legislative activities that impact pharmacy that IPC has been actively engaged in, especially as it relates to drug price increases and the role of PBM’s.