What You Should Know About Pharmacy Legislation

by Yafang Xie, Policy VP 2015-16 

 

H.R. 592/S. 314 (APhA-ASP)

H.R. 592/S.314 is the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act. This act will enable Medicare beneficiaries access to pharmacist-provided services under Medicare Part B by amending section 1861(s)(2) of the Social Security Act. These services would be reimbursable under Medicare Part B if they are provided in medically underserved communities and consistent with state scope of practice laws.

 

Why you should care? The bill seeks to increase access and improve quality by enabling pharmacists to provide patient care services as consistent with their education, training, and license. The goal of this act is to expand medically underserved patients’ access to pharmacists’ services.

 

Please contact the House offices of Rep. Brett Guthrie, Rep. G.k. Butterfield, Rep. Todd Young, or Rep. Ron Kind, or the Senate offices of Sen. Chuck Grassley or Sen. Robert Casey to add your support to this important legislation.

 

Please urge your legislators to support H.R 592 and S. 314, which will enable Medicare beneficiaries access to pharmacist-provided services under Medicare Part B by amending the Social Security Act. You may also thank your legislators who are current co-sponsors of the legislation.

 

Please act NOW to make a change in the pharmacy field!

 

SB 493 on National Level (CPhA)

http://www.cpha.com/advocacy/pharmacist-provider-status

 

SB 493, which was signed into law on October 1, 2013 by California Governor Jerry Brown, declares pharmacists as healthcare providers who have the authority to provide health care services. This law establishes a new “Advanced Practice Pharmacist” recognition and allows pharmacists in California to furnish emergency contraception as well as hormonal contraception, nicotine replacement products, travel medications, etc. These expanded roles will result in greater patient access to care and will improve the quality and efficiency of the healthcare delivery system.

 

Although pharmacists in California are recognized as health care providers, they are not recognized on the national level. Thus, the SB 493 bill is not the end. It still needs more supports to try to pass it on the Federal level for California pharmacists to be able to practice on the national level.

 

 

What You Can Do To Support Pharmacy Legislation

1. Support pharmacy organizations

2. Send a letter to local legislators

3. Meet with your local representative

4. Stay informed about current issues in pharmacy 

 

Take action!

 

 

       Send a letter to your local legislator here

 

 

 

Encourage them to support provider status for pharmacists. Don't worry, a letter is already pre-drafted and you can edit it however you want.

 

 

 

 

If you have any questions about pharmacy legislation or how you can be more involved, contact Policy VP Melody Padilla at mep016@ucsd.edu.