ALEXANDRIA, Va.--Millions of Medicare beneficiaries would face decreased access to DME if competitive bidding takes effect, the National Community Pharmacists Association said last week.

In a statement issued by the NCPA, which represents more than 24,000 independent pharmacies in the U.S., the association said the proposed competitive bidding program creates "huge administrative burdens" for pharmacists, including mandatory accreditation.

"Pharmacists already are highly educated, licensed by the state and uniquely qualified to serve as the medication and medical device expert for their patients," said NCPA Executive Vice President and CEO Bruce Roberts. "To require an additional level of accreditation to sell durable medical equipment such as diabetes testing strips is unnecessarily burdensome and unfairly stacks the deck against family pharmacies."

CMS estimates that 90 percent of Medicare Part B suppliers, of which pharmacies represent the largest portion, will seek accreditation and participate in the bidding process.

However, a recent NCPA survey shows that only 31 percent of community pharmacies in 10 of the metropolitan areas likely to be affected by competitive bidding in 2007 said they intend to participate in the program. Most cited concerns about the financial requirement and administrative burden of the bidding process and accreditation. The association estimated initial accreditation is expected to take 70 hours to complete and cost $7,000 to $17,000.

The competitive bidding proposal is "short-sighted," Roberts said. "The long-term effects will be a dramatic decrease in beneficiaries' access to their local community pharmacy, resulting in under-utilization of prescribed medications and supplies and higher health care costs. This program is not at all in our patients' best interests."

Also last week, the NCPA announced that it has joined the National Association of Chain Drug Stores to create a lobbying body called the Coalition for Community Pharmacy Action. According to a press release, "all of the nation's 55,000 community pharmacies--both chain and independent--will be represented with a single voice on legislative and regulatory issues of common interest."