Congressman Buddy Carter Addresses NASP Annual Meeting, Reiterates Commitment to Support Specialty Pharmacy in Congress
*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
Congressman Buddy Carter Addresses NASP Annual Meeting, Reiterates Commitment to Support Specialty Pharmacy in Congress
Washington, D.C. (September 28, 2016) – Congressman Buddy Carter (R-1st, GA) this week reaffirmed his commitment to supporting Specialty Pharmacy (SRx) in Congress during his address to an enthusiastic crowd at the National Association for Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) annual meeting.
Congressman Carter, the only pharmacist in Congress, noted that several pieces of important legislation pertaining to Specialty Pharmacy are currently pending in Congress as October (which is American Pharmacists Month) approaches.
Pending legislation includes bills to address provider status, MAC transparency, and the issue of “Any Willing Provider.” Another bill addresses “DIR fees” which are confusing, misleading and economically debilitating to many specialty pharmacies.
“While I am the only pharmacist in Congress, these bills make clear that pharmacy has many friends on Capitol Hill and that it is important,” said Congressman Carter. “But, we need to grow the ranks of legislators who support our profession.”
“NASP is immensely proud to have the support of Congressman Carter,” said Burt Zweigenhaft, President of NASP. “It is Members like him that understand the importance of Specialty Pharmacy to the millions of patients we serve, and who without the support of our industry would not have the successful service delivery it has today.”
To learn more about the NASP Board of Directors, visit the NASP website at www.NASPnet.org.
Specialty pharmacy (SRx) provides medications to treat patients with serious, chronic, rare, progressive, or debilitating or fatal diseases if left untreated or undertreated. Examples of these illnesses include cancer, hepatitis C, infectious disease, infertility, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, Cystic Fibrosis, organ transplantation, human growth hormone deficiencies, hemophilia, and other bleeding disorders. According to the Drug Channels Institute and other sources, specialty pharmacy drugs will represent 44% of the U.S. drug spend by the year 2020.
CONTACT: Danielle Moodie-Mills | nasp@skdknick.com
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