The National Association of Chain
Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association have formed the Coalition for Community
Pharmacy Action as part of an effort to "unite the nation`s 55,000 community pharmacies and create a greater defense against changes the groups say are hurting the industry and
health care," CQ HealthBeat reports. CCPA, a Virginia-based not-for-profit company, has begun efforts to revise the Medicare prescription drug benefit, prevent Medicaid reimbursement reductions and ensure TRICARE beneficiaries can continue to obtain prescriptions from community pharmacies. Bruce Roberts, executive vice president and CEO at NCPA, and Robert Hannan, interim president and CEO at NACDS, will serve as co-chairs of the CCPA executive committee. Charles Sewell, senior vice president for government affairs at NCPA, and Catherine Polley, vice president of state government affairs at NACDS, will serve as co-presidents at CCPA. Roberts said in a statement, "The nation`s community pharmacists -- both independent and chains -- have faced a series of threatening legislative and regulatory policies" (Abruzzese, CQ HealthBeat, 7/20).
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