Congressman Dan Lungren will be in Amador County today at a local pharmacy on a fact-finding visit. Lungren will be at Ione Pharmacy at 307 Preston Avenue at 10:30 AM to talk with owner and pharmacist John Stremfel. Specifically, the Congressman wants to discuss “the valuable services independent community pharmacies provide their patients,” and discover some of “the challenges facing the industry” that might be helped by the passing of two bills pending in the U.S. House of Representatives. The first, H.R. 3140, called the “Saving Our Community Pharmacies Act of 2007,” will hopefully remedy the reimbursement shortfalls being experienced in our nation’s small pharmacies.

According to Brian Anderson, State Relations Manager for the National Community Pharmacist Association, pharmacies have been shorted an average of 36% in prescription drug reimbursements. “This bill is basically the plight of the small business (owner),” says Anderson. The second bill up for discussion is H.R. 971, which is also referred to as “the Community Pharmacy Fairness Act of 2007.” This bill will bring fairness to the relationship between community pharmacies and the “giant administrators of the prescription drug plans” by allowing these small pharmacies to “band together in buying groups” says Anderson, an action that is now currently not allowed. Stremfel says he “is looking forward to Lungren’s visit.” We’ll have more on the outcome of that visit later this week.