The National Community Pharmacists Association has filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services regulations, alleging that direct and indirect remuneration, or DIR, fees are without reasonable transparency and they conceal the true cost of prescription drugs.
“Pharmacy clawbacks are fundamentally dishonest and unfair for patients and pharmacies, and they make it impossible for pharmacies to predict their costs,” said NCPA CEO Doug Hoey. He also said that 60% of community pharmacies believe they may go out of business in the next two years if the clawbacks are not addressed.
"That’s not just a threat to community pharmacies but also to the millions of patients who rely on them, whether during a public health emergency or otherwise. This is about fairness for community pharmacies and access for their patients,” Hoey said. "NCPA and others have pursued a fix through the regulatory and legislative processes for years. We have exhausted those options and unfortunately, small business independent pharmacies cannot wait any longer,” Hoey said.
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