ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Jan. 22, 2026) - The National Community Pharmacists Association released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a spending bill that includes a provision requiring the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to develop reasonable and relevant contract terms under Medicare Part D and create a mechanism for pharmacies to report contract violations:

"Though scrutiny into their business practices has intensified in recent years, PBM-insurers have managed to get away with anticompetitive, harmful business practices for far too long," said Anne Cassity, NCPA's senior vice president of government affairs. "The PBM reforms included in this package - the first major PBM reform in Medicare Part D to pass in nearly 20 years - are as welcomed as they are long overdue.

"We're grateful to the pharmacy champions in Congress who have continued pushing for this language to advance, and to the many independent pharmacy allies and advocates who have participated in this fight. We need to get this through the Senate and to the president's desk as quickly as possible, so independent pharmacies and the patients they treat can have the relief from PBM manipulations they so desperately need."

To help push PBM reform provisions through Congress, NCPA in December relaunched its Finish the Fight campaign with fresh digital advertising assets aimed at continuing to engage patients and independent pharmacy allies in the legislative process. Since this effort resumed, more than 10,000 letters have been delivered to Congress in support of NCPA's legislative priorities. In 2024, the campaign helped send in over 80,000 messages.

View the latest digital ad, "PBM Fat Cats," here on NCPA's YouTube page.

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<_u53a_p>Founded in 1898, the National Community Pharmacists Association is the voice for the community pharmacist, representing over 18,900 pharmacies that employ more than 235,000 individuals nationwide. Community pharmacies are rooted in the communities where they are located and are among America's most accessible health care providers. To learn more, visit www.ncpa.org.