Pharmacies Should Prioritize Medicare Transaction Facilitator Enrollment | NCPA 2025

For all pharmacies planning to participate in Medicare Part D drug networks, it’s crucial that they enroll in the Medicare Transaction Facilitator (MTF) prior to 2026, when the first 10 negotiated drugs take effect within the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program (MDPNP).

“[MTF] is the contractor that [the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)] is working with to make sure that, when you dispense drugs that have a maximum fair price, they know that the claim exists and that the pharmacy is due a refund from the manufacturer,” Lisa Schwartz, PharmD, senior director of professional affairs at the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), told Drug Topics. “I think that's the number one most important thing, making sure you're enrolled with the transaction facilitator.”

With the upcoming new year set to bring new prices to popular drugs, community pharmacies are currently scrambling to understand what the MDPNP’s provisions will mean for their businesses. Following her presentation on the topic at NCPA’s 2025 Convention & Expo, we caught up with Schwartz to better understand the program and provide insights for pharmacies looking to participate in 2026 and beyond.

In part 1, she focused on the MTF, which is a novel, third-party system that CMS is utilizing to facilitate transactions for the 10 negotiated drugs. Learn more from Schwartz on the future of the MDPNP and what it means for pharmacies as she has been working around the clock with NCPA to prepare community pharmacies for 2026.

Also, stay tuned for more from our conversation with Schwartz, who delved into community pharmacies’ displeasure with the program’s provisions and provided her thoughts on how it will play out in the near future.

Read more of our coverage from NCPA 2025.

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