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.