Policies Aimed at Lowering Drug Prices Must Ensure Patients See Lower Costs While Preserving Access to Essential LTC Pharmacy Services

DATE: May 13, 2025

The Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC), the leading national voice for the long-term care (LTC) pharmacy community, released the following statement regarding President Trump’s May 12 Executive Order on prescription drug prices, urging the White House to also address the critical LTC Pharmacy Fix and protect seniors’ access to medications.

“American families and seniors deserve affordable access to prescription drugs – and we applaud the Trump Administration for prioritizing lower prices. However, it is imperative that such policies create tangible cost savings for patients while preserving access to essential pharmacy services, particularly the unique services provided by LTC pharmacies. Lowering drug prices shouldn’t unintentionally limit patient access to current and future innovative medicines and treatments.

“Enacting policies like Most Favored Nation (MFN) drug pricing without first addressing the root causes of high drug prices may miss the mark when it comes to providing true cost relief for Americans, especially seniors. To truly lower out-of-pocket costs for seniors—many of whom rely on multiple prescriptions—Congress and the Administration must address the heavy hand of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in determining what patients pay for their medications. Enacting meaningful PBM reform will ensure that savings are passed on to patients while ensuring all types of pharmacies, including LTC pharmacies, can continue providing essential care services.

“LTC pharmacies face a unique challenge as Medicare Part D plans and PBMs force them to subsidize their specialized services with revenue from dispensing expensive brand-name drugs. Mandatory government price negotiations—like those included in the Inflation Reduction Act—threaten to collapse the already broken LTC pharmacy reimbursement model. When the first round of negotiated prices takes effect in January 2026, many LTC pharmacies will be forced to close, endangering the legally required care they provide LTC residents nationwide. Policymakers must act in coordination to lower drug prices for consumers and to protect patient access to those prices at the pharmacy. They can do this through meaningful PBM reform for all pharmacies and a short-term LTC pharmacy supply fee to offset the unintended by dire consequences of Medicare negotiated Medicare drug prices, which uniquely impact LTC pharmacies and threaten access to prescription drugs and services for Medicare beneficiaries who live in nursing homes and other LTC facilities.

“LTC pharmacies support smart policies to lower prescription drug costs as long as they truly benefit patients, protect access to care and preserve continued American innovation,” said Alan Rosenbloom, President/CEO of SCPC.

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