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...nearly half of U.S. pharmacies now participate in the 340B Drug Pricing Program...The four largest specialty pharmacies are owned by CVS Health, Cigna’s Express Scripts business, UnitedHealth Group’s OptumRx business, and Walgreens Boots Alliance/Prime Therapeutics...these specialty pharmacies have dramatically increased their participation in the 340B program. Hospitals are the primary 340B covered entities that engage with these specialty pharmacies...We estimate that specialty pharmacy dispensing accounted for nearly one-third of PBMs’ total gross profits in 2019...the 340B program is a significant and growing component of profitability for these large, for-profit, publicly traded companies...READ MORE

New York pharmacists can provide the coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine when it becomes available, according to new legislation...The Community Pharmacy Association of New York State and NACDS praised the new law, based on legislation (S. 8182-A / A. 10508-A) that adds COVID-19 to the list of illnesses for which pharmacists can vaccinate...The legislation was...was signed into law by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo...“Now is the time to make sure that people will be able to get their COVID-19 vaccination as soon as it becomes available. It is essential that all states continue to remove barriers for pharmacies to help meet the needs of patients during this phase of the pandemic,”...READ MORE

Pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and other pharmacy staff felt overtaxed even before the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic hit, according to findings from the 2019 National Pharmacist Workforce Study. The survey results showed that 69% of full-time pharmacists reported that their workload “increased” or “greatly increased” compared with the prior year...Although the profession is much more racially and gender diverse than in previous years, pharmacy staff reported age, race, and gender discrimination...Among full-time, actively practicing pharmacists, 71% rated their workload level at their primary place of employment as “high” or “excessively high” in 2019, compared with 66% and 68% of full-time pharmacists in 2014 and 2009, respectively...READ MORE

Walgreens has taken a big first step in meeting the growing need for mental health resources in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company’s health outcomes pharmacists have completed the first phase of training in mental health first aid, administered by the National Council for Behavioral Health...Mental health first aid training... includes information about mental health literacy and understanding the risk factors and warning signs of mental health and addiction concerns, as well as strategies to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations...“With the prevalence and rise of incidents of depression, anxiety, addiction, PTSD and others, specialized training can be key to identifying warning signs, and working with other providers, even finding gaps in care or treatment. We’ve long believed pharmacists can play an even greater role as part of patient’s care teams, and we’re proud to be at the forefront of our industry expanding our efforts in the area of mental health to help meet this growing need.”...READ MORE

CVS Pharmacy has issued a face covering policy at all locations for customers...Since the pandemic began, we’ve done everything we can to keep people safe and healthy. This includes requiring that store employees wear face coverings and encouraging our customers to do so as well. In any community with state or local laws mandating the use of face coverings, we’ve made that very clear through signage and other reminders...With the recent spike in COVID-19 infections, we’re joining others in taking the next step and requiring all customers to wear face coverings when entering any of our stores throughout the country effective Monday, July 20...READ MORE

In a letter-to-the-editor, National Association of Chain Drug Stores President and CEO Steven Anderson took extremely strong issue with a recent Wall Street Journal editorial that ignored the unique role of pharmacies and pharmacists in patient health, medication safety, healthcare cost reduction and crisis response...The newspaper referred to the pharmacy as a “needless middleman” – a point that Anderson confronted vigorously by detailing the trusted value that pharmacies deliver in the face of extreme barriers and often unfair and unsustainable reimbursement policies...READ MORE

The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released its employment data for 2019...our annual Drug Channels analysis of pharmacist salaries and employment...Average base salaries were about $125,000, though there was substantial variation across practice settings...Total pharmacist employment grew in 2019...the share of pharmacists who work at hospitals reached a new high...the number of pharmacists working in retail settings decreased. The challenges facing the retail pharmacy industry...are now showing up in the employment data...READ MORE

A group of pharmacies and pharmacy organizations urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to formally recognize and promote medical at home pharmacy services for long-term care —particularly in the wake of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic...“With medical at home pharmacy services being needed now more than ever due to the coronavirus public health emergency, long-term care pharmacy stakeholders are urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to formally recognize and promote these services to help improve value-based patient care, increase savings, and ensure pharmacy providers are fairly and properly reimbursed,”...READ MORE

Professional burnout among pharmacists, already a growing concern in the United States, could be exacerbated by the coronavirus disease 2019 crisis. The current pandemic strains pharmacy capacity and exposes persistent underlying problems, according to 3 experts on pharmacy burnout...A national survey of more than 4700 pharmacist concluded that, although more than half (54.2%) of respondents reported meaningful work, 32% and 33% also said they felt “a lot” or “totally” emotionally and physically exhausted. Community pharmacists demonstrated higher rates of work exhaustion and interpersonal disengagement, as well as lower levels of professional fulfillment, compared with those practicing in hospitals and other work settings...READ MORE

CVS Health will try delivering prescriptions with self-driving vehicles in a test that begins next month...The drugstore chain said...that it will partner with the Silicon Valley robotics company Nuro to deliver medicines and other products to customers near a Houston-area store...A CVS spokesman said the prescriptions will routinely be delivered within an hour of being ordered...Nuro has previously started partnerships to test the delivery of pizzas for Domino’s or groceries for Kroger, also in the Houston area. This is the company’s first venture into health care...READ MORE