Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Pharmacists tell Senate committee Medicaid preferred‑brand rules are straining small, rural pharmacies
Summary
Independent pharmacists told the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee that Arkansas Medicaid’s preferred‑brand practices can force small pharmacies to stock expensive brand‑name bottles they cannot use, creating unreimbursed losses; DHS officials described the Drug Review Committee, federal rebate mechanics and prior‑authorization options.
John Vincent, CEO of the Arkansas Pharmacists Association, told the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee that independent pharmacies across the state are facing “the challenges of stocking some of these brand name drugs that are $1,500 or $1,600 to stock a bottle of a hundred,” and then may only dispense 30 tablets, leaving pharmacies with costly unused inventory.
Vincent and two independent pharmacists — Kyle Lomax of Northeast Arkansas and Brandon Cooper of Jonesboro — laid out examples they say highlight the problem. Lomax said a brand‑name prescription of Concerta recently cost “around $1,700 to purchase, and the generic equivalent cost about about $170,” creating a large disparity when Medicaid or other payers only reimburse the generic. Brandon Cooper explained that Arkansas Medicaid reimburses using NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost) plus a dispensing fee, and described difficulties when drugs are managed by private PBMs for some managed‑care plans, which can complicate…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
