MDPNP Implementation Will Be Complex Despite Systems Properly in Place | NCPA 2025

With the 10 drugs negotiated under the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program (MDPNP) set to take effect on January 1, 2026, community pharmacies and their advocacy groups are working hard right now to better understand the program, what it means for community pharmacies, and how to avoid cashflow and business-related issues stemming from it.

“I think that I'll go to bed on the 31st crossing my fingers that, when pharmacies open up on the first or on the second, that the claims, everything processes the way it should,” Lisa Schwartz, PharmD, senior director of professional affairs at the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), told Drug Topics. “I think systems are in place for them to work, but I think it's going to be a slog.”

Following her presentation at the NCPA’s 2025 Convention & Expo, titled “Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program: What Pharmacists Need to Know,” we caught up with Schwartz to better understand what community pharmacies can expect come January of 2026.

According to her, the systems for the MDPNP and pharmacies’ position within it are well-established. With provisions under the program stemming from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the general public and necessary pharmacy entities have had quite some time to familiarize themselves with the MDPNP.

However, with many uncertainties existing around the program’s start of implementation in 2026, the community pharmacy industry is holding its breath for the start of the new year.

Learn the ins and outs of the MDPNP and get Schwartz’s expert opinions on how it will play out in a few months when the program’s actual provisions kick off.

Read more of our coverage from NCPA 2025.

Don’t get left behind: Sign up today for our free Drug Topics newsletter and get the latest drug information, industry trends, and patient care tips delivered straight to your inbox.