With the enactment of a new law – House Bill 42 – New Mexico has taken a significant step toward improving healthcare access for its citizens, including those in rural areas and other underserved communities, NACDS said today. NACDS also hailed a unified effort of pharmacists and pharmacy students, national and state pharmacy and retail organizations, and the college of pharmacy to express support for the leadership of key New Mexico legislators on this issue.
“This new law addresses a tremendous barrier to patients’ access to high quality, affordable pharmacy services by establishing reimbursement parity for certified pharmacist clinicians and certified pharmacists delivering the same patient care services performed by other healthcare providers in the state,“ said NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson.
“This legislation modernizes the current healthcare infrastructure in the state by expanding access to high-quality patient care services that are readily available from pharmacy healthcare destinations.”
NACDS lauded the leadership of State Rep. Deborah Armstrong (D-17) and State Sen. Liz Stefanics (D-39) in advancing the legislation, and of Gov. Michelle Grisham (D) in signing the bill into law on March 6. NACDS praised the New Mexico Pharmacists Association and the New Mexico Retail Association for their pro-patient and pro-pharmacy advocacy. Of significance, five national associations representing pharmacists across all practice settings co-signed a letter in support of the legislation, the University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy supported the measure strongly, and NACDS member companies engaged in a highly proactive manner.
“House Bill 42’s enactment demonstrates patient focus, governmental leadership, and the achievement of meaningful results through the unified commitment of pharmacies and pharmacists,” Anderson said.
A 2019 survey, conducted by Morning Consult and commissioned by NACDS, found that 80 percent of New Mexico registered voters think that pharmacies are easy to access, making them the most accessible sources of healthcare that were tested in the survey.
New Mexico joins three other forward-thinking states – Tennessee, Texas and Washington — that enacted similar legislation recognizing the value and contributions of highly educated and skilled pharmacists to deliver patient care services outside of traditional dispensing of prescriptions.
