NACDS and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) followed up on a meeting at the Pentagon on TRICARE in a joint letter to Stephanie Barna, acting assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.
In the letter, NACDS and NCPA reinforce a commitment to improving pharmacist access to care for TRICARE patients in a way that will also lead to savings for the Department of Defense (DoD). The letter states, “Finding a viable path forward to restore beneficiaries’ prescription access at their local community pharmacies while sustaining a cost-effective drug benefit is a worthwhile and achievable objective.”
The letter also highlights the many cost-saving services pharmacists provide and their convenience and accessibility, especially for patients in rural areas. These services include medication adherence, access to health tests, managing chronic conditions, immunizations, and helping to combat the opioid abuse crisis.
NACDS and NCPA concluded by underscoring their intent to work collaboratively with DoD and other stakeholders to improve TRICARE patient access and health outcomes.
