RedSail Blog

If you live in a presidential swing state, meaning that former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are within a few points of each other in the polls, you are under a constant barrage of political advertising that makes your head spin.

The Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) is nearing its final phase, and with the update from the FDA regarding small business exemptions, many pharmacies may be wondering what this means for them. The FDA’s letter grants small dispensers with fewer than 25 full-time pharmacists and pharmacy technicians a delayed deadline until November 27, 2026, for specific compliance measures. However, most of the requirements are still on track for the November 27, 2024, deadline.

For independent pharmacies across the country, 2024 has been a financially turbulent year. From the “DIR apocalypse” of Q1 to changes in reimbursements from many payors in the first months of the year, managing your pharmacy’s financials may be more difficult than ever.

On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it will issue exemptions from certain DSCSA requirements to smaller independent pharmacies until November 27, 2026. This announcement comes off the heels of the FDA’s previous announcement of a one-year stabilization period (which is set to end on November 27, 2024).

It’s the first of the year and you haven’t paid down your new deductible and, obviously, are not yet in the donut hole for your Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. Your first prescription has a whopping big cost-sharing requirement that will quickly clear out your bank account. So, what do you do?

As a leader in your industry and community, you will eventually receive requests to support political candidates running for state and federal office. Perhaps you have already been asked to make a contribution to a candidate. Supporting candidates who understand our industry is good citizenship and allows us all to help well-qualified candidates get elected. Just be sure you know what you can and cannot do.

The U.S. Public Health Emergency (PHE) that was first declared in January of 2020 ended in 2023. The three years between the beginning and end of the PHE was transformative for the nation and nearly catastrophic for the long-term care industry.

As we dive into 2024, the landscape for long-term care (LTC) pharmacy continues to evolve, presenting both challenges and opportunities. Let’s preview the latest developments and potential impacts on LTC pharmacy in the coming year.

The key to an independent pharmacy’s success is its ability to adapt to an ever-changing status quo. In this industry, today’s latest and greatest trend quickly becomes yesterday’s news. Ranging from prescription kiosks to VR headsets, here are the five trends that can (and already are) shaping today’s independent pharmacy industry.