NCPA Urges Congress to Lower Prescription Drug Prices

As the co-founder and executive vice president of Guaranteed Returns (GRx), Darren Volkes has over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Alongside GRx, Darren Volkes is a member of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), which advocates on behalf of pharmacists and the people they serve.

The NCPA has joined over 240 other industry organizations to call for Congressional leaders to take action in lowering prescription drug prices across the country. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), among others, the coalition highlights direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees that have increased 45,000 percent in the past decade.

These mandatory fees have unnecessarily increased Medicare patients’ out-of-pocket expenses while also affecting the viability of pharmacies across the country. In addition, 2,000 pharmacies have closed in the past two years, which may have been partially driven by increased prescription drug costs, among other factors.

The group highlights the importance of easy access to medication for patients to avoid unneeded trips to the emergency department.