A Few Things I Learned This Week....

 I  spent a day at the 2022 Annual Technology and Business Conference of the National Council on Prescription Drug programs, better known as NCPDP.  It provides every pharmacy with the specific identifying number used to bill for third party reimbursement; but it does a whole lot more. 

One of the “other” things is hosting a technology conference that attracts a diverse group of companies interested in helping pharmacies operate more efficiently; and, NCPDP advocates for pharmacists to be allowed to provide more clinical services. 

Dr. Jerome Adams, the former U.S. Surgeon General, delivered an informative and uplifting Key Note address.  Adams framed his comments with the statement that the United States does not need to spend “one dime more on health care.”  Instead, as he explained over the next 30+ minutes, we simply need to rethink and rearrange how we spend our healthcare dollars. 

One notable example is, he says, for some mysterious reason both the government and private insurers have decided not to cover things “above the neck.”  They don’t’ pay for dental work, hearing aids, eye glasses or, mental health conditions.  As for mental health Adams points out how more money spent on helping people deal with mental health and related social skills would save the nation billions of dollars on the cost of imprisonment.   This is especially true if one factors in the cost to society of the loss of human potential and the money spent to replace property losses due to crime. 

One topic mentioned in several presentations, and included in Adams’ remarks, is the costs to the health care system of social determinants of health.  The inability of the underprivileged to gain access to early detection and poor nutritional is a major cause of obesity.  And, as we all know, obesity drives a variety of chronic health conditions.  Adams argues focusing more attention on these issues now would save our society billions of dollars.   

NCPDP is dedicated to helping payers and regulators understand that by empowering – and paying – pharmacists to provide new, more and better healthcare services that we can improve the health of more Americans.  And,  as Adams says, it won’t cost us one dime more. 

If you own or manage a pharmacy I challenge you to reach out to your elected representatives, insurance commissioners and other policy makers and employers in your area.  Let them know that by taking fuller advantage of the resources your pharmacy provides your community can save money and enjoy better health.