Last week, Health Affairs Forefront published a piece highlighting the growing threat of pharmacy closures and makes the case for Critical Access Pharmacy (CAP) designations as a way to stabilize access to care. Authors Emily Gravlee, Sujith Ramachandran, and Dima Qato (co-director of the USC-NCPA Pharmacy Access Initiative) walk through the CAP landscape and provide suggestions for CAP designations. This article is especially timely as pharmacy access provisions have been included in the PBM Price Transparency and Accountability Act, which NCPA has urged Congress to pass.
Two states have already implemented CAP programs and the designations show promise for protecting independent pharmacies. In their recommendations, the authors state that CAP designations should not depend on rurality or medically underserved area status, and that the issue of pharmacy deserts is more nuanced. They also recommend that any CAP financial incentives should ideally apply to all claims submitted by a pharmacy, not just from certain payors.
