William Pryor: “earlier today I joined with Senators Cochran and Enzi to introduce the Pharmacist Access and Recognition in Medicare Act…”

“earlier today I joined with Senators Cochran and Enzi to introduce the Pharmacist Access and Recognition in Medicare Act of 2007. This is bipartisan legislation that will help ensure patients have access to local pharmacies. I am concerned that the Medicare Modernization Act that was enacted in 2003 failed to sufficiently ensure Medicare patients would have quality access to prescription medicines available at local pharmacies. The new drug program took effect at the beginning of 2006. We now know that during that year over 1,100 community pharmacies across the country closed their doors according to the National Community Pharmacists Association. It is critical to me that patients living in small towns throughout Arkansas and across America have access to community pharmacies. While I believe major reforms need to be made in the Medicare prescription drug benefit, I believe that the bipartisan bill I introduced with Senator Cochran and Enzi today is an achievable first step in making the Medicare drug benefit work better for patients and pharmacists who are local front line health care providers. This bill will ensure that pharmacies are paid on a timely basis for prescriptions that are filled for Medicare beneficiaries. It can take a month for pharmacies to be paid now, and this bill will ensure that pharmacies get paid electronically for clean claims within 10 business days. Seniors should have a choice concerning what pharmacy they use.”