News & Policy

If COVID-19 taught us anything, it’s that pharmacists are frontline providers. The Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act, first passed in March 2020, enabled pharmacists to test, treat, and later vaccinate patients during the emerging public health emergency.

GLP-1 medications have transformed how weight loss and management are being treated—and beginning July 1, 2026, there will be a major shift in how Medicare pays for them. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Program, a time-limited demonstration program allowing eligible Medicare Part D beneficiaries to access certain GLP-1 weight-loss medications for just $50 per month. This program creates a real opportunity for independent pharmacies. More patients at your counter will be asking about it—and the more you know, the better positioned you are to help them navigate it and keep their prescriptions at your pharmacy.

The new year is full of new opportunities—and refining your marketing strategy should be at the top of the list in 2026.It’s no secret that pharma marketing is strategic: from doctor detailing and direct-to-consumer advertising to digital engagement, you have to use a variety of channels to reach the right patients with the right message.

For pharmacies, the start of 2026 brings a significant new process change for 10 drugs through Medicare Part D. Introduced in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that passed in August of 2022, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) established the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program (MDPNP) to negotiate Maximum Fair Prices for certain high expenditure, single source drugs and biologics.

H.R.1, also known as The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA), is a big deal. It’s packed with sweeping changes that touch nearly every corner of federal policy. But for independent pharmacies, the most immediate and personal impact is clear: it’s about your patients.

Mastering short-cycle dispensing rules is crucial but often challenging. They can be confusing and prone to pitfalls like improper coding that leads to under-reimbursements. To understand why these rules exist and how they impact long-term care (LTC) pharmacies, let's explore their origins.

On December 8, 2003, President George W. Bush signed the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 into law. It quickly got shortened to the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) and Medicare, at long last, had a prescription drug benefit.The bill passed along partisan lines, with Republicans prevailing in the House by a vote of 220-215, and in the Senate by a tally of 54-44. Democrats worried about the $394 billion price tag, and the potential implications of the increased role of private insurers in Medicare.

If you live in a presidential swing state, meaning that former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are within a few points of each other in the polls, you are under a constant barrage of political advertising that makes your head spin.

The Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) is nearing its final phase, and with the update from the FDA regarding small business exemptions, many pharmacies may be wondering what this means for them. The FDA’s letter grants small dispensers with fewer than 25 full-time pharmacists and pharmacy technicians a delayed deadline until November 27, 2026, for specific compliance measures. However, most of the requirements are still on track for the November 27, 2024, deadline.