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CMS Releases Final Medicaid Reimbursement Rule
Alexandria, Va.
--NCPA expressed outrage in reacting to CMS' final rule to reduce
Medicaid reimbursements, particularly Medicaid's pharmacy reimbursement
formula for generic prescription drugs. The association, which represents
independent pharmacists and more than 24,000 independent pharmacies
nationwide, said that the new reimbursement formula will pay community
pharmacies well below their acquisition cost for generic prescription drugs
for Medicaid patients. NCPA said it would work with a bipartisan coalition of
U.S. House and Senate members to enact a "legislative fix." If not amended,
the new Medicaid reimbursement policy will go into effect on October 1 and
will be fully incorporated on January 30, 2008, once all the pricing data is
compiled.
Kmart Expands Its Generic Program
Hoffman Estates, Ill.
--Kmart will expand its 90-Day Generic Drug Program to include more than
300 medications, an increase of nearly 70 new generic medications, including
sertraline, simvastatin, and 17 different formulations of popular generic
prenatal vitamins. The program is an attempt to compete with popular
mail-order prescription plans. The 90-Day Generic Drug Program offers a lower
out-of-pocket cost than most mail-order prescription coverage, said Mark
Doerr, RPh, Vice President of Kmart Pharmacy. The program, which is available
in all Kmart pharmacies, offers patients a 90-day supply of covered generics
for only $15.
Former Surgeon General Speaks Out about White
House Interference
Washington, D.C.
--Former surgeon general Richard H. Carmona has accused the Bush
administration of interfering with his viewpoints on such sensitive topics as
stem cell research, abstinence-only sex education, and the emergency
contraceptive Plan B. Referencing stem cell research, Carmona said that the
discussions he had with the White House were "being driven by theology,
ideology, [and] preconceived beliefs that were scientifically incorrect." The
White House rejected his claims of political interference.
Syphilis Cases Sharply Higher in New York
New York City
--New York City health officials have reported that new syphilis cases
more than doubled in the first three months of this year, compared with the
same period last year. According to Susan Blank, MD, of the city's health
department, the increase comes after two years of holding steady and a slight
decline in 2006. Most of the patients (96%) were men. Interviews revealed that
the rise results from an increase in unsafe sex practices among gay men.
According to a CDC spokesperson, the spike in syphilis cases in New York is
part of a national trend.
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