More Than 130 Healthcare Groups Express Support for Legislation Expanding Medicare Patients' Access to Pharmacist Services

WASHINGTON, May 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, more than 130 healthcare groups applauded the introduction of the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act (S. 1362, H.R. 2759), legislation that will ensure that Medicare beneficiaries in medically underserved areas have access to pharmacists' primary care services.

In a letter sent to the bill's original sponsors—Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), and Rep. David McKinley (R-WV)—the healthcare groups, including rural health advocates, consumer groups, and pharmacy organizations, call for the removal of restrictions on seniors' access to care.

The letter notes how states have already recognized the ability of pharmacists to improve access to essential services like point-of-care testing, access to urgently needed medications, management of complex medication regimens, and smoking cessation services. States have also broadened their use of pharmacists to provide a range of healthcare services during the public health emergency, including COVID-19 testing and vaccinations against COVID-19 and other diseases. In communities across the country, pharmacists significantly help improve access to care and ensure optimal medication therapy outcomes as key members of the interdisciplinary patient care team.

Medicare Part B currently does not cover pharmacist-provided primary healthcare services for Medicare beneficiaries. As a result, beneficiaries' access to the healthcare providers with the most medication-related education and training is severely restricted.

The Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act would enable pharmacists to deliver Medicare Part B services already authorized by their respective state laws and allow Medicare beneficiaries to receive the same level of care that pharmacists are licensed to provide to other patients.

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Supporting Organizations

Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education
Alabama Pharmacy Association
Alabama Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Alaska Pharmacists Association
Alaska Pharmacists Association-Academy of Health-System Pharmacy
Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
American College of Apothecaries
American Pharmacists Association
American Society of Consultant Pharmacists
Amerisource Bergen
Arizona Pharmacy Association
Arizona Pharmacy Association Health-Systems Academy (Arizona Pharmacy Association)
Arkansas Association of Health-System Pharmacists
Arkansas Pharmacists Association
ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists)
Balls Food Stores (Balls Price Chopper, Hen House & Sun Fresh Pharmacies)
California Pharmacists Association
California Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Cardinal Health
Colegio de Farmacéuticos de Puerto Rico
College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists
Colorado Pharmacists Society, Academy of Health-System Pharmacists
Connecticut Pharmacists Association
Connecticut Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Delaware Pharmacists Society
Delaware Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Discount Drug Mart
Florida Pharmacy Association
Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists
FMI – The Food Industry Association
Georgia Pharmacy Association
Georgia Society of Health-System Pharmacists
GRX Holdings
Hartig Drug Company
Hawaii Academy of Health-System Pharmacists
Hawaii Pharmacists Association
Healthcare Leadership Council
Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association
Idaho Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Idaho State Pharmacy Association
Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists
Illinois Pharmacists Association
Indiana Pharmacists Association
Iowa Pharmacy Association
Kansas Council of Health-System Pharmacy
Kansas Pharmacists Association
Kentucky Pharmacists Association
Kentucky Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Kroger Health
Lewis Drug
Louisiana Pharmacists Association
Louisiana Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Maine Pharmacy Association
Maine Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Maryland Pharmacists Association
Maryland Society of Health-System Pharmacy
Massachusetts Pharmacists Association
Massachusetts Society of Health-System Pharmacists
McKesson
Michigan Pharmacists Association
Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Minnesota Pharmacists Association
Minnesota Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Mississippi Pharmacists Association
Mississippi Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Missouri Pharmacy Association
Missouri Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Montana Pharmacy Association
Montana Pharmacy Association Health-System Academy
National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations
National Association of Chain Drug Stores
National Association of Specialty Pharmacy
National Center for Farmworker Health
National Community Pharmacists Association
National Consumers League
National Pharmaceutical Association 
National Rural Health Association
National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable
Nebraska Pharmacists Association
Nebraska Pharmacists Association Hospital/Health-System Network
Nevada Pharmacy Alliance
Nevada Society of Health-System Pharmacists
New Hampshire Pharmacists Association
New Hampshire Society of Health-System Pharmacists
New Jersey Pharmacists Association
New Jersey Society of Health-System Pharmacists
New Mexico Pharmacists Association
New Mexico Society of Health-System Pharmacists
New York State Council of Health-System Pharmacists
North Carolina Association of Pharmacists
North Carolina Association of Pharmacists Health-System Forum
North Dakota Pharmacists Association
North Dakota Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Nucara Pharmacy
Ohio Pharmacists Association
Ohio Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Oklahoma Pharmacists Association
Oklahoma Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Omnicell
Oregon Society Health-System Pharmacists
Oregon State Pharmacy Association
Pediatric Pharmacy Association
Pennsylvania Association of Chain Drug Stores
Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association
Pennsylvania Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Pharmacists Society of the State of New York
Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin
Rhode Island Pharmacists Association
Rhode Island Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition
Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists
South Carolina Pharmacy Association
South Carolina Society of Health-System Pharmacists
South Dakota Pharmacists Association
South Dakota Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Tennessee Pharmacists Association
Tennessee Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Texas Pharmacy Association
Texas Society of Health-System Pharmacists
The Association of Community Cancer Centers
Thrifty White Pharmacy
Utah Pharmacy Association
Utah Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Vermont Pharmacists Association
Vermont Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Virginia Pharmacists Association
Virginia Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Washington DC Pharmacy Association
Washington Metropolitan Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Washington State Pharmacy Association
Washington State Pharmacy Association Health-Systems Academy
Wegmans Food Markets
West Virginia Pharmacists Association
West Virginia Society of Health-System Pharmacists 
Wyoming Pharmacy Association
Wyoming Society of Health-System Pharmacy

SOURCE ASHP and APhA