ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association has commended Sens. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, for urging "administrative discretion" in enforcement of DMEPOS accreditation for pharmacies, the deadline for which was Jan. 1.
In a letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Grassley, the committee's ranking member, said they were concerned beneficiaries could lose access to equipment and supplies without such "discretion."
According to the Jan. 25 letter:
"Absent the use of administrative discretion in implementing the accreditation requirement, Medicare beneficiaries could lose access to diabetic test strips, canes, walkers, nebulizers, wound care, and other vital medical products. Beneficiaries in rural and underserved areas are particularly at risk for experiencing a reduction in access to these medical supplies.
"We therefore respectfully request that you use discretion in implementing the accreditation requirement for pharmacies in a manner that preserves beneficiaries' access to medical supplies and equipment while Congress considers the best approach for addressing this issue."
In a statement on the Baucus-Grassley letter, Bruce Roberts, NCPA executive vice president and CEO, said the senators "recognize the DMEPOS accreditation requirement is onerous, expensive, and duplicative for community pharmacies. Even those pharmacies that completed this initial round of accreditation face another round in a few years. Worst of all, the requirement singles out pharmacists while exempting 17 other medical professionals."
The deadline for DMEPOS providers to meet the accreditation requirement was Oct. 1, 2009, but last fall, Congress extended the deadline for pharmacies until Jan. 1. Provisions in both the House and Senate health reform bills would permanently exempt certain pharmacies from the requirement. In December, however, with no health reform bill passed and the new deadline approaching, NCPA requested that CMS delay it or go easy on its enforcement.
In a late December memo, CMS said it would continue to process accreditation determinations for pharmacies after Jan. 1. Revocations for those not meeting the requirement would be "prioritized based on any potential beneficiary access issues as well as the agency's workload," according to the memo.
