Washington, D.C. – The locally based National Retail Federation (NRF) joined the National Association of Chain Drug Stores in opposition to a Bush administration proposal to give prescription-drug discount cards to Medicare recipients.
The two organizations fought the proposal based on the possibility that pharmacies could be forced to carry more than their fair share of the burden.
"This program could force pharmacies to participate in discount programs without doing anything to reduce the wholesale prices pharmacies pay for the medicines they dispense," explained NRF president and CEO Tracy Mullin. "If the government can force price controls on pharmacies, it sets a dangerous precedent that could be applied to other industries," Mullin added.