Points to press

The ASCP encourages pharmacists to contact the state and press these points:

• Decisions were made without input from the pharmacy community or forewarning that there were any problems with current Medicaid payment.

• Cuts will reduce access to medications for patients served by pharmacies.

• Cuts threaten quality of care for frail elderly seniors receiving Medicaid benefits.

• Cuts are severe to pharmacies, most of which already operate with very thin margins.

• The cuts to dispensing fees are approximately 30%.

• Dispensing fee reductions were chosen arbitrarily and without any cost studies.

• Increases in Medicaid drug expenditures are not a result of increased profitability of pharmacies.