NASP Message to Congress: You Must Do More to Protect Safe Senior Access to Specialty Medications and Medication Services and Protect Pharmacy Market Competition

/EIN News/ -- Washington, DC, April 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the full House Committee on Energy and Commerce passed H.R. 2484, legislation that is intended to improve the convenience of accessing Medicare Part D drugs for patients and their caregivers, but raises urgent concerns about Stark law protections, patient safety and fair pharmacy market competition that must be addressed before the bill further advances in the House. During the mark up, Rep. Auchincloss (D-MA) raised these important concerns to the Committee, resulting in a colloquy and the congressman securing a commitment with the bill’s sponsor to address the concerns before the bill advances. Ranking Member Pallone (D-NJ) and six other members voted against the legislation.

“As currently drafted, the legislation undermines the intent of long-standing prohibitions against physician self-referral within the Medicare program and would permit the steering of patients to physician-owned or affiliated pharmacies for any high-margin Part D drugs, for financial gain. Any such steering would also eliminate patient/caregiver access to the specialty pharmacy of their choice,” said Sheila Arquette, President and CEO of the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP).  

“While current law allows physicians that meet state licensure requirements to dispense medications in their offices, this bill would permit any physician dispenser to mail or courier any Part D drug without seeing a patient more than one time a year, without meeting specialty pharmacy accreditation standards to support drug handling outside the office, and without having to meet 24/7 patient care needs to address drug toxicity and other critical specialty drug concerns.”

NASP opposes the legislation as passed by the Committee today but commits to working with the bill sponsors, committee leadership and House leadership in an effort to address specialty pharmacy’s concerns.   

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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.

Sheila M. Arquette, RPh
                    National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP)
                    (703) 842-0122
                    sheila.arquette@naspnet.org