Letters, Statements & Analysis
AMCP communicates the importance of managed care pharmacy by collaborating with members to provide comments, analysis, and testimony to Congress and federal and state agencies on the impact of proposed regulations and laws on managed care pharmacy and patients.
As healthcare and pharmaceutical supply chain stakeholders, we are all carefully watching the development of the biosimilars market in the United States. As policymakers look at ways to control spending growth in the healthcare sector, biosimilars offer a unique opportunity to create savings and improve patient access, similar to what the generics market has done for small-molecule therapies.
The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) thanks the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for its work in developing strategies to address the growing opioid epidemic in the United States and for the opportunity to provide comments in response to the proposed rule “Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders (RIN 0930-AA22)” published in the Federal Register on March 30, 2016.
On behalf of the American Pharmacists Association (“APhA”), the National Community Pharmacists Association (“NCPA”) and the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (“AMCP”), we appreciate the opportunity to provide input on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (“SAMHSA”) proposed rule, Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders (“Proposed Rule”).
The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) appreciates that the Senate and House have each passed S. 524 and it is now under consideration by your Conference Committee. We wanted to take this opportunity to renew our strong support for passage of S. 524. AMCP supports a holistic, comprehensive, and multi-stakeholder approach among health care providers and patients that truly addresses the opioid epidemic.
We, the undersigned organizations representing a research and policy organization, healthcare plan sponsors, managed care pharmacists, and pharmacy benefit managers, urge conferees to include a provision in the final legislation that would authorize the use of patient review and restriction (PRR) programs by Medicare plan sponsors.
The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) appreciates the opportunity to comment on Sub. H.B. No. 505 regarding the regulation of biological products and the substitution of interchangeable biological products when dispensed by pharmacists. AMCP is opposed to this legislation as it places an undue burden on the dispensing of interchangeable biological products once approved by the FDA.
The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) is writing to express our concerns with House Bill 791 – an act mandating that health plans and other health insurers follow a government mandated Step Therapy Exception Determination process.
The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) supports the use of abuse deterrent opioid analgesic drug products; however, we are opposed to House Bill 2743 because it mandates coverage for these drug products, mandates preferred drug coverage status on formularies and sets arbitrary limits on copayments, deductibles or coinsurance that may result in increased costs to patients and public and private payers.
The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) urges you to veto House Bill 1608 which would require the Insurance Commissioner to develop multiple prior authorization forms. For years, paper forms were used for prior authorization; however since 2013, an electronic standard for electronic prior authorization (ePA) has been available.
AMCP is writing to express our serious concerns regarding the inclusion of Section 11, Biological Product Innovation in the FDA and NIH Workforce Authorities Modernization Act (S. 2700)— part of the Senate Innovations legislation marked up in the HELP Committee.
The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) believes that abuse-deterrent opioid analgesic drug products should be used in a clinically appropriate manner; however, we are opposed to Sub. H.B. No. 248 as it requires special consideration for this class of drugs.
The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) appreciates the opportunity to submit comments for the record on the hearing titled “The Obama Administration’s Medicare Drug Experiment: The Patient and Doctor Perspective” scheduled for May 17, 2016.