(March 1, 2024 – Washington, D.C.) As the Change Healthcare outage is now in its second week, the pharmacy community continues to be challenged and frustrated by the significant impact this has on pharmacies, pharmacy teams, and patients—from both an access to care and an economic perspective. Pharmacies are struggling or—in some cases—unable to process prescription claims, some have not received e-prescriptions for a full week, and many cannot process manufacturer patient assistance copay cards, which patients rely on.

By now, many of you are aware of a cyberattack that has affected Change Healthcare’s ability to communicate with pharmacies. Change Healthcare is a technology company used by many pharmacies; their technology helps pharmacies know how much to charge consumers at the pharmacy counter. As a result of this, many pharmacies throughout America could not transmit insurance claims for their patients.

WASHINGTON - Our pharmacy organizations are deeply concerned about FDA’s recent authorization of a state drug importation program, which could open the door for harmful and counterfeit drugs to enter our nation’s drug supply, with no evidence that this will result in cost savings for our patients.