NCPA Installs New Officers, Adopts Resolutions on DIR Fees, Enhanced Services Networks

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The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) late yesterday installed a new President and Fifth Vice President and also adopted resolutions reaffirming the organization's opposition to retroactive reimbursement cuts and in support of enhanced services networks of community pharmacies in the changing health care environment.

PRESS RELEASE

NEW ORLEANS (Oct. 19, 2016) — The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) late yesterday installed a new President and Fifth Vice President and also adopted resolutions reaffirming the organization’s opposition to retroactive reimbursement cuts and in support of enhanced services networks of community pharmacies in the changing health care environment. The proceedings were part of the House of Delegates session held in conjunction with the NCPA Annual Convention.

DeAnn Mullins, BPharm, CDE, of Lynn Haven, Fla. started her term as President with a speech to the House of Delegates that addressed the movement toward a value-driven health care system as well as the challenges independent community pharmacies face. A certified diabetes educator, Mullins owns Mullins Pharmacy, WeCare Wellness, and the WeCare Diabetes Education Program. She is a past member of the Florida Board of Pharmacy and graduated from Samford University's McWhorter School of Pharmacy.

“As pharmacists, we are deeply connected to our patients. Those deep connections and relationships and the satisfaction from knowing deep in our souls that we are doing good work that keeps us fighting this crazy fight and it’s a key to our continued success,” Mullins said. “Being a pharmacist is about taking care of people and relationships. It’s a core desire to help people be well. And we do that day in and day out. It’s our super power in a value-based system of care.”

“My primary goal this next year is to work on connections and relationships with everyone who shares similar values and beliefs and who believes in the higher purpose of fixing our broken health care system,” she added. “I believe in a world where prescribers, pharmacists, nurses and payers quit competing and start collaborating to design a value-based system of care that benefits everyone. Including clinicians! Caring for our caregivers is just good medicine. We need stronger aggregation within our pharmacy community and we need to unite with other clinicians and like-minded health care providers, organizations and patient groups. Aggregation of independents and a larger aggregation with the entire health care community has been a board priority for several years. We must aggregate, not just to fight the PBMs, but to be an integral part of health care in the future.”

Dr. Michael Kim, RPh, is NCPA’s new Fifth Vice President and the owner of multiple independent community pharmacies in the District of Columbia and Maryland. Among them is Grubbs Care Pharmacy on Capitol Hill just steps from the U.S. Capitol. He is the current Vice President of the Washington D.C. Pharmacy Association, the Chairman of the CARE Pharmacies Board of Directors and received his Pharm.D. from Howard University.

NCPA Officers for 2015-2016

Altogether these independent community pharmacy owners were confirmed for the following positions:

Board of Directors

  • President DeAnn Mullins, Lynn Haven, Fla.
  • President-Elect - David Smith, Indiana, Penn.
  • Chairman - Bill Osborn, Miami, Okla.
  • Brian Caswell, Baxter Springs, Kan.
  • Michele Belcher, Grants Pass, Ore.
  • Hugh Chancy, Hahira, Ga.
  • Jeff Carson, San Antonio, Texas
  • Lea Wolsoncroft, Birmingham, Ala.
  • Immediate Past PresidentBrad Arthur, Buffalo, N.Y.

Officers

  • First Vice President - Jeff Harrell, Ilwaco, Wash.
  • Second Vice President - Kristen Riddle, Conway, Ark.
  • Third Vice President - Christian Tadrus, Columbia, Mo.
  • Fourth Vice PresidentJustin Wilson, Midwest City, Okla.
  • Fifth Vice PresidentMichael Kim, Washington, D.C.

NCPA delegates adopted two resolutions during the session.

The first resolution concerns direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees that threaten many independent community pharmacies. DIR fees may be levied in an uneven manner and make it difficult and sometimes impossible to assess what their effective reimbursement rate is. “NCPA opposes any retroactive reduction in payment directly or indirectly on clean claims submitted by pharmacies,” the resolution states.

The second resolution relates to the integration of community pharmacists into the nationwide movement toward value-based purchasing arrangements and alternative payment models. It commits NCPA to “encourage the development and operation of regional enhanced services networks of community pharmacies with defined core service sets and additional optional services to facilitate the integration of community pharmacy with other health care providers to prosper in the changing health care environment by improving the health and wellness of their patients and lowering the total cost of care.” It concludes with a resolve “that NCPA support its members interested in participating in enhanced services networks with programs, tools and resource for them to adapt their business and practice for the best opportunity for success.”

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