The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists recently joined a growing list of pharmacist- and healthcare-organizations that oppose a shorter prescription drug dispensing cycle for long-term care facilities.

A letter from ASCP and 19 other healthcare organizations calls on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to first implement a pilot program or study the effects of short-cycle dispensing periods before rolling out a full-scale program. CMS’s proposal would require that certain prescription drugs be dispensed in seven-day increments.

“A recent industry survey suggests that the number of drugs dispensed and not consumed by Part D-covered [long-term care] residents is far lower than CMS estimates,” according to the industry groups, which also include the American Health Care Association and LeadingAge. “This study concluded that it will cost far more to implement a 7-day dispensing requirement than can possibly be saved through waste reduction.”

Read the industry groups’ letter at the ASCP website