Arkansas Pharmacists Association

10/28/2026

Blake Torres introduced Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders during her Capitol for a Day visit to Benton. The Governor and her cabinet joined more than 100 pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, legislators, and community leaders at Westside Pharmacy.

Thank you, Governor Sanders, for your continued support of Arkansas pharmacies and legislation that promotes fair pricing and patient access to care!

10/28/2026

📢 ARKANSAS PHARMACISTS: SUBMIT COMMENTS TO CMS BY NOVEMBER 19!

CMS is accepting comments through November 19, 2026, on its draft process for identifying “essential retail pharmacies” under the new Medicare PBM reform law passed in February 2026.

This is the second major CMS request for comments related to the new law this November. Pharmacy owners, operators, and pharmacists are encouraged to respond to both this request and the separate “Reasonable and Relevant” Medicare Part D contracting request.

Why does this matter?

Under the law, eligible pharmacies must be unaffiliated with a Part D sponsor or PBM and have no other retail pharmacy within:
📍 10 miles in rural areas
📍 2 miles in suburban areas
📍 1 mile in urban areas

These distances are established by law, but CMS needs input on how those distances are measured. The methodology could affect pharmacy designations and patient access to care.

RECOMMENDED POINTS TO ADDRESS:

🔹 Driving distance matters. Arkansas's mountains, forests, rivers, bridges, and winding roads can make pharmacies appear closer on a map than they actually are by road.

🔹 Use accurate locations and realistic routes. Measurements should reflect actual public road access, not ZIP code centers or routes patients cannot use.

🔹 Promote transparency. CMS should explain its geographic classifications, mapping sources, and calculations.

🔹 Allow corrections and appeals. Pharmacies need a straightforward way to challenge inaccurate locations, affiliations, or exclusions.

🔹 Recognize essential services. Explain the services your pharmacy provides, including compounding, hospice support, assisted living services, after-hours assistance, or same-day delivery. A nearby pharmacy may not offer the same services.

📊 Make your comments local and specific! Include your pharmacy's name and location, examples comparing driving and straight-line distances, transportation barriers, and how these factors affect patient access. Do not include identifying patient information.

📩 HOW TO SUBMIT:
Email: [email protected]
Subject: Draft Program Instructions – Affiliated Retail Pharmacy Data Collection

📅 Deadline: November 19, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET

📄 Review CMS's draft instructions:https://www.cms.gov/files/document/program-instructions-identifying-essential-pharmacies-affiliated-retail-pharmacy.pdf

Thank you for helping ensure CMS's methodology reflects the realities of pharmacy access across Arkansas!

10/28/2026

🚨 PHARMACISTS & PHARMACY OWNERS: SUBMIT COMMENTS BY NOVEMBER 23!

Monday, November 23, 2026, is the deadline to submit comments to CMS on “Reasonable and Relevant” Medicare Part D contract terms.

The 2026 federal PBM reform law established new Medicare Part D contracting standards and enforcement mechanisms. Now, CMS needs to hear directly from pharmacists and pharmacy owners to help shape how these protections are implemented.

Share your experiences with PBM practices, including:
🔹 Unreasonable, nonnegotiable contract terms
🔹 Below-cost reimbursement and inadequate dispensing fees
🔹 Anticompetitive steering and restrictive pharmacy networks
🔹 Abusive audits and prior authorization barriers
🔹 Patient steering, data mining, and discriminatory refill policies
🔹 Credentialing and specialty pharmacy restrictions
🔹 MTF payment delays and unpredictable reimbursement
🔹 340B payment transparency challenges
🔹 Pharmacy closures and reduced patient access, especially in rural and underserved communities

📊 Data and facts are critical! Include specific examples, financial impacts, and patient outcomes to demonstrate how these practices affect your pharmacy and the communities you serve.

NCPA is also expected to release a more comprehensive comment template in November.

TAKE ACTION BY NOVEMBER 23:

🔗 NCPA Information: https://ncpa.org/newsroom/qam/2026/10/27/our-last-chance-solidify-fair-part-d-contract-terms-take-action-nov-23

📝 Submit Comments: https://www.votervoice.net/mobile/NCPANET/campaigns/139698/respond

Your voice matters. Help ensure Medicare Part D contracting standards support fair reimbursement, sustainable pharmacies, and continued patient access to care.

As you are aware, CMS recently released its long-awaited request for information (RFI) regarding Part D reasonable and relevant contract terms. CMS is seeking public comment, and we need all independent pharmacy owners, regardless of practice...

10/23/2026

The Arkansas Pharmacists Association has officially wrapped up another season of Regional Meetings, and we're so grateful to everyone who joined us across the state! These meetings provided valuable opportunities to connect with fellow pharmacy professionals, share updates on issues impacting our profession, discuss the latest developments in Arkansas pharmacy, and strengthen the relationships that keep our pharmacy community moving forward.

Don’t forget to claim your CE credit! Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who attended can contact Marlene Battle at [email protected] for assistance.

This year's Team Spirit theme brought plenty of fun and friendly competition to each location! From showing off team pride to celebrating our Team Spirit winners, members brought their enthusiasm and energy to every meeting. Congratulations to all of our winners at each location! Be sure to check out the photos below to see some of the highlights and winning teams.

A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who took the time to attend and make this year's meetings a success. We love the opportunity to connect with our members in communities across Arkansas, and we hope to see even more of you at next year's Regional Meetings! Whether you joined us this year or haven't had the chance to attend yet, we look forward to bringing pharmacy professionals together again next year.

Thank you for being part of the APA community and for your continued commitment to advancing pharmacy in Arkansas!

10/22/2026

Arkansas Pharmacy Leadership on the National Stage!

The Arkansas Pharmacists Association is proud to support Stephen Carroll, PharmD, as a candidate for American Pharmacists Association (APhA) President-Elect!

Stephen has a longstanding commitment to advancing pharmacy at both the state and national levels. He has served on the APhA Board of Trustees and as president of the Arkansas Pharmacists Association, and was recently named the 2026 Arkansas Pharmacist of the Year.

As a practicing pharmacist at AllCare Specialty Pharmacy in Little Rock, Stephen brings valuable real-world experience and a passion for advocacy to his leadership. If elected, he would become the third Arkansas native and UAMS College of Pharmacy graduate to serve as APhA president, following Nicki Hilliard and Brandi Hamilton.

🗳️ APhA voting closes November 15, 2026! We encourage all eligible APhA members to cast their votes and support Stephen as he works to advance our profession.

Learn more and vote: https://www.pharmacist.com/membership/apha-elections

Let's show our support for Arkansas pharmacy!

10/07/2026

🚨 PHARMACY OWNERS: THIS MAY BE OUR 1 SHOT!

CMS is asking for input on what “reasonable and relevant” PBM practices should look like in Medicare Part D.

This is our opportunity to tell CMS what is really happening: PBM underpayments, unfair contracts, abusive audits, patient steering, restrictive networks, take-it-or-leave-it terms, and excessive payments and markups at PBM-affiliated pharmacies — particularly on high-cost specialty and cancer drugs.

The new federal law, the 2026 Medicare PBM reforms in the Consolidated Appropriations Act,
gives us an opportunity to finally address abusive and unfair PBM practices in Medicare. All 6 members of Arkansas’ congressional delegation voted YES to start this process.

If your pharmacy dispenses Medicare Part D prescriptions, WE NEED YOU TO RESPOND.

🔥 This may be our 1 shot to help rewrite the rules. Tell CMS what PBM practices are doing to your pharmacy, your patients, and prescription drug costs.

Stand up for your pharmacy. Stand up for your patients. Don’t sit this one out. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!

NCPA has prepared a template to make responding easy. It only takes a few minutes:

As you are aware, CMS recently released its long-awaited request for information (RFI) regarding Part D reasonable and relevant contract terms. CMS is seeking public comment, and we need all independent pharmacy owners, regardless of practice...

10/06/2026

10/06/2026

We're headed to Monticello on Thursday, October 8 for the next stop on the Arkansas Pharmacists Association's 2026 Regional Meeting tour at the Monticello Country Club. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the educational program runs from 7:00–9:00 p.m.

🏈 Team Spirit Theme! Wear your favorite team colors or jersey and show off your team spirit. There will be a prize for the best-dressed attendee, so come ready to represent your team!

Connect with fellow pharmacy professionals, hear the latest updates on advocacy efforts and issues impacting pharmacy practice, and strengthen our collective voice for pharmacy in Arkansas.

✅ Register today: https://members.arrx.org/ap/Events/Register/g4Fn4EDCzCyCo

09/26/2026

Congratulations 🎈 to ASU Red Wolves health care administrator and former head trainer Ron Carroll for his 600th consecutive game attended for Arkansas State (1976-present)! Ron is APA member and former APA President Stephen Carroll’s father. 🤩

09/24/2026

🏈 The 2026 APA Regional Meetings are still going strong! 🏈

Tonight, we’re headed to Fort Smith! If you haven’t registered yet, it’s NOT too late to join us. Same-day walk-in registration is available in person, or you can call the Arkansas Pharmacists Association office at (501) 372-5250 to register over the phone.

📍 Fort Smith — Tonight, September 24
📍 Jonesboro — Tuesday, September 29
📍 Russellville — Tuesday, October 13

💻 Prefer to register online in advance? You can register here:
👉 https://members.arrx.org/ap/Events/Register/g4Fn4EDCzCyCo

We’ve got more meetings coming up in October, so there are still plenty of opportunities to join us for an evening of networking, professional insights, advocacy updates, dinner, and 2.0 hours of ACPE-accredited continuing education!

And don’t forget to show your team spirit! Wear your favorite sports team jersey, colors, hat, or fan gear and help us bring the competition to each meeting. 🏆

Come join us at a location near you! We’d love to see you there! 💙❤️