Implementation key to reform's fate.(ANNUAL REPORT OF RETAIL PHARMACY: THE INDUSTRY)

WASHINGTON -- Implementation is now the watchword for health care reform.

While the law includes a number of pro-pharmacy provisions, how they play out will be determined by how the Department of Health and Human Services writes the regulations for implementing them.

Among the provisions that promise to benefit pharmacy are a new reimbursement formula for generic drug prescriptions and the expansion of eligibility for Medicaid with a corresponding increase in coverage for prescription drugs.

The statute also maintains the ability of seniors to obtain durable medical equipment--such as diabetes testing supplies and canes--from community pharmacies. It …