NCPA Member Wins Runoff for GOP Nomination to House Seat
Overcoming PBM industry opposition, NCPA member Buddy Carter won the Republican nominationfor an open seat in Georgia's 1st Congressional District in a July 22 runoff. Carter, a pharmacist for more than 30 years and owner of three stores, defeated surgeon Bob Johnson 53% to 46% in a hard-fought campaign. Carter finished first among six candidates in the May 20 GOP primary, but did not top 50% to avoid a runoff. He is bidding to become the first pharmacist in the House of Representatives since Rep. Marion Barry (D-AR) did not seek reelection in 2010.

"It is a pivotal time in the pharmacy profession, so now more than ever Congress would benefit from having a pharmacist like Buddy among its ranks once again," said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, Pharmacist, MBA. "Moreover, patients would benefit as well as pharmacists become more fully utilized in the U.S. health care system."

Express Scripts' political action committee contributed $10,000 to Johnson, a 26-year Army veteran, according to the Federal Election Commission, and the conservative Club for Growth spent $388,000 to buy air time for anti-Carter TV ads.

The NCPA PAC gave Carter $10,000 (the maximum allowed by a PAC for a primary and a runoff) and a number of NCPA members, wholesalers, and pharmacy chains contributed to his campaign as well.

A state legislator since 2006, Carter is seen as a heavy favorite in the strongly Republican district on the Georgia coast over Democrat Brian Reese of Savannah. The winner will succeed longtime Republican Rep. Jack Kingston, who lost his runoff for the GOP Senate nomination to businessman David Purdue.

Take Action on H.R. 4577 to Move Any Willing Pharmacy Forward
Legislation that would allow any willing pharmacy located in a medically underserved area to participate in all Medicare Part D networks, H.R. 4577, now has 51 backers in the House. The bill was introduced by Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Peter Welch (D-VT) in May. A strong display of bipartisan support is needed to force a vote in the House. You can join the campaign to get action on any willing pharmacy by:

• Contacting your member of Congress via email or phone;

• Writing a letter to the editor of a local newspaper;

• Educating your patients about this issue;

• Sharing your stories on social media using the hashtag #pharmacychoice.

NCPA has compiled online resources, including sample social media posts, to help you make the case as to why community pharmacies can help save taxpayer money and improve patient adherence by being allowed to participate in preferred pharmacy networks.

NCPA Hits Back at Bogus PBM Study
NCPA rejected a July 22 PBM-industry attack on H.R. 4577, disputing an estimate that claimed the bill would cost $21 billion over 10 years. "This study reflects that PBMs are getting desperate to continue denying convenient access to medication and pharmacy choice for Medicare seniors in medically underserved areas," said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, Pharmacist, MBA. "The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has heard all of the PBMs' arguments previously yet continues to reject them and instead expresses continued, strong support for the kind of patient choice protections that are embodied in H.R. 4577.

"In addition, an earlier analysis by economist Dr. David Eisenstadt, veteran of the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division and Principal at Microeconomic Con-sulting and Research Associates (MiCRA), concluded that there is 'insufficient basis' for opponents of any willing pharmacy to claim that Medicare drug prices will increase and the policy could even reduce the program's cost under certain conditions."