Message
from Mike
APRx selects Tier I wholesale
drug vendors |
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By now, all American Pharmacies stockholders
should have received a letter explaining our
latest improvements to our top-tier vendor
offerings.
As you know, APRx prides itself on maximizing
our buying power for your benefit, returning
revenues to you through
quarterly/monthly rebates, annual dividends
and discounted products and services.
By leveraging the ever-growing combined
buying power of our membership, we continually
negotiate competitive prices on pharmaceuticals to
allow you to compete effectively with chain
pharmacies. We have established strong
relationships with trusted wholesaler partners who
are committed to meeting your expectations.
We are excited to announce two of our
wholesale drug vendors, Morris & Dickson Co.
and Amerisource Bergen, responded to our request
for proposals with valuable offerings.
While we no longer will be working with
McKesson, we want to thank them for the three
years of service we have enjoyed. APRx has
negotiated deep discounts with a variety of
vendors on behalf of our members. We continually
identify, evaluate and pursue agreements with
suppliers whose products and services can benefit
your bottom line. This new line-up of top tier
wholesale drug vendors is a continuation of our
commitment to you, your business and your
patients.
Click
here to learn more about our many preferred
vendors.
I would like to encourage each stockholder to
examine the opportunities offered in our new Tier
1 arrangements with our preferred vendors. It's
imperative that you understand the total value
presented to you as to cost of goods, generic
rebates and other enhancements contained in these
new vendor agreements.
If you have any questions about these new
opportunities, please e-mail me or call
877.634.5445.
Stay tuned!
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| Medicaid payments "take a
holiday" again |
There will be a one-day delay in payments to
pharmacy providers for Medicaid and the Children's
Health Insurance program because of the Memorial
Day federal holiday on Monday, May
25. Payment for claims submitted May 15-21
will be paid Thursday, May 28.
The next claim payment will resume on the
regular cycle. Claims submitted May 22-28
will be paid Wedneday, June 3.
Vendor Drug anticipates that direct deposit
payments for the Kidney Health Care program and
Children with Special Health Care Needs Services
will be available Wednesday, May 27.
For more information about the Vendor Drug
Program, please click
here. |
| Medicaid reimbursement relief
included in U.S. Senate health care reform
proposal |
Following the release of an outline of
'Description of Policy Options' paper by the U.S.
Senate Finance Committee, the National Association
of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community
Pharmacists Association hailed the leadership of
Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and Senator Charles
Grassley (R-IA) in recognizing the need to
preserve patient access to pharmacy services
through a reformed approach to Medicaid pharmacy
reimbursement.
In a joint news release, the two pharmacy
organizations noted that while this process is
only beginning and legislation is being crafted,
they are pleased that Chairman Baucus, Senator
Grassley and Finance Committee members have
recognized the implications on patient access that
threaten the ability of pharmacies to provide
healthcare services to the neediest populations,
especially those in rural and inner-city areas
with higher percentages of Medicaid patients.
The proposal put forth by the committee would
change the Medicaid law to increase the federal
upper limits' (FULs) percentage from 250 percent
to 300 percent of the weighted average (determined
on the basis of utilization) of the most recent
average manufacturer prices (AMPs) for
pharmaceutically and therapeutically equivalent
multiple source drugs available nationally through
commercial pharmacies.
The proposal also calls for:
- Clarification of what discounts and other
price adjustments were included in the
definition of AMP;
- Other technical modifications to Medicaid
prescription drug law would include a revision
to the definition of a multiple source drug,
changing it from at least one other drug product
to two or more drug products;
- A new prior authorization requirement would
prevent more expensive drugs from being
dispensed when generic equivalents are available
absent medical necessity justifications.
Currently, pending regulations would reimburse
pharmacies at 36 percent below their costs for
prescription drugs under the Medicaid program. If
implemented, these cuts, which have been blocked
for now by a Court injunction from a lawsuit filed
by NACDS & NCPA, threaten the ability of
pharmacies to provide healthcare services to the
neediest populations.
The Medicare Improvements for Patients and
Providers Act of 2008 delayed the implementation
of AMP until Oct. 1, 2009. However, legislation is
the only permanent solution to prevent pharmacies
from facing devastating cuts.
"We commend the leadership of Chairman Baucus
and Senator Grassley and their commitment to
helping low-income Americans and the neighborhood
pharmacies they trust. We thank them, the
Committee and other Senators who supported
legislation (S.1951) in the last Congress to
prevent these devastating cuts from taking
effect," according to the news
release.
"As the legislative process continues, we
look forward to working with Congress to ensure
that a pro-patient, pro-pharmacy reimbursement
structure, as well as the expansion of the
patient-pharmacist relationship through medication
therapy management, are part of any healthcare
reform package."
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| Members only |
Expert business and law advice for
American Pharmacies members.
- Complaints
made against you to the Texas State Board of
Pharmacy
- The
independent pharmacist's duty to warn
- Auditing
loopholes in Medicare Part D
- Safeguard
your business from employee fraud
- Hiring
and firing tips
- The
pharmacist's guide to on-site audits
- Contracting
tips for independent
pharmacists
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Dividends &
Rebates |
|
American
Pharmacies distributed rebates or dividends to
stockholders on the following dates. To read the
letters, go to the Members
Only
section.
To
get your password, go to the Contact Us section
and type your preferred password in the Comments
area.
If
you would like to become an American
Pharmacies stockholder to receive extra
money as shown below, contact Kaye
Stroud,
American Pharmacies business development
manager.
Source
/Date
McKesson
/ 12 March 09
Morris & Dickson / 20 Feb
09
McKesson / 20 Feb 09
AmerisourceBergen /
21 Jan 09
McKesson / 19 Dec 08
Morris &
Dickson / 19 Dec 08
McKesson / 21 Nov
08
McKesson / 3rd Q 21 Nov 08
Morris &
Dickson / 21 Nov 08
AmerisourceBergen 24
Oct 08
McKesson / 24 Oct 08
Morris &
Dickson / 10 Oct 08
Morris & Dickson / 20
Oct 08
McKesson / 18 Aug 08
American
Pharmacies / 8 Aug 08
Morris & Dickson / 1
July 08
AmerisourceBergen / 21 Apr
08 |
| Your APRx board |
Vance Oglesbee,
RPh
Chairman
Robert Kinsey,
RPh
Vice Chairman
Bruce Rogers,
RPh
Secretary/Treasurer
Lynn Everett,
RPh
Immeiate Past Chairman
DIRECTORS
Ray Carvajal,
RPh
Buddy de la Rosa,
RPh
Alton Kanak,
RPh
Michael Muecke,
RPh
Dennis
Song,RPh |
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