Independent pharmacies, community pharmacies, have been struggling for years, fighting an uphill battle to be recognized as the most accessible healthcare provider. Every day pharmacists deliver high-quality, impactful healthcare solutions. Improved reimbursements, provider status, PBM reform, and payments for clinical services provided at the pharmacy are a few of the impacts that IPC members have been asking for. The IPC Government Relations team leverages their collective 75 years to make positive change happen.
Why do I need to join a buying group that has Government Relations?
Joining a buying group is an important decision for your business, whether you are just starting out, in the middle of growing your organization, or preparing for your successor and looking to leave a legacy. The answer to why it is important to have Government Relations as a part of your buying group is threefold:
- Your business growth depends on it – without an eye, ear and voice in the legislative process you leave the future of your business to chance.
- We can make an impact in numbers – IPC is the largest buying group in the nation and together we can make a big impact with our collective voice.
- The pharmacy industry is changing on many levels – technology, new services, new therapies, and laws in regulations. Don’t leave out a critical component to understanding the future of pharmacy.
How does the IPC Government Relations team work for me?
You know how important monitoring and understanding new legislation is to the future of your business. If legislation gets passed that benefits the PBM’s and their huge lobbying efforts, it can be bad for independents like you. There are hundreds of bills and laws being crafted, discussed, debated, and passed every month and IPC is the only buying group that works across the entire US. It is impossible to stay on top of them yourself. You need to have an advocate on your side who will let you know when to speak up and who are the right legislators to talk to.
IPC collaborates closely with organizations like the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) to advocate for legislative changes that benefit independent pharmacies like yours. By working together on key issues such as PBM reform, telepharmacy regulations and Medicaid Managed Care reforms just to name a few. IPC and NCPA strive to create a more equitable landscape for community pharmacies, ensuring you can thrive and continue to provide essential healthcare services. To learn more and join NCPA, click the link below.
As an IPC Member, our Government Relations team will reach out to you to let you know when it is time for you to let your voice be heard. We will provide you with email templates and links to the right legislators so you can take action quickly and get back to running your business.
Ready to take action? Click through to our Legislative Action Center to learn more about any active campaigns we have running or get the contact information for federal and state officials.
Chances are, you are too busy for advocacy. Let us do it for you. Take it from Bilal.
Bilal Salim
Holland Discount Pharmacy
Holland, OH
Government Relations Team
Mark Kinney
Executive Vice President of Government Relations
A seasoned senior health care executive, bringing 25 years of state and federal legislative expertise to his role, Mark is a registered lobbyist in Washington D.C. and formerly registered in Colorado, Wyoming, and Wisconsin. He has contributed significantly to vital issues such as DIR reform, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, Tele-Pharm, DSCSA requirements, 503A and 503B drug compounding. His impactful leadership has extended to roles on the National Community Pharmacist Association’s (NCPA) Steering Committee and is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Federation of Pharmacy Networks (FPN).
John Covello
Senior Director of Government Relations
He uses over 35 years of federal, state and local government and lobbying experience to focus his efforts on state and national independent pharmacy issues, including patient choice, audit reform and MAC transparency and Medicaid managed care.
Jim Driscoll
Consultant
Jim Driscoll focuses his state affairs efforts for IPC on community pharmacy issues, including Medicaid reimbursement, unfair audit requirements and PBM transparency. Driscoll targets individual state concerns and provides assistance for the passage of pro independent pharmacy legislation relating to these topics.
Forbes Tate
Consultant
IPC works with Forbes Tate Partners to leverage their expertise as we advocate for our members at the state and federal level. Their culture and personality as a firm is a rarity in Washington, DC and we are proud to work with them.
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IPC Digital Health
The IPC Government Relations team is an integral part of how we are getting independent pharmacy future-ready. Another way we are making a huge impact is through our Digital Health iCare+ program. If you are interested in learning more about telehealth, remote patient monitoring, and home health test kits, visit www.myicareplus.com.
