The Future of Pharmacy Care Coalition, on whose Executive Committee the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) serves, continues to actively advocate and build support for the Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act (H.R. 7213) – federal legislation that would help ensure the continuity of accessible pharmacy-based care during public health emergencies and every day.
NACDS is leveraging this year’s in-person NACDS Total Store Expo (TSE) in Boston as a platform to further demonstrate the broad support that exists for H.R. 7213 — and to urge Members of Congress to prioritize patient health by supporting and advancing this critical legislation.
Discussion of the bipartisan bill has been pervasive throughout the 2022 conference.
On Saturday, NACDS leadership detailed the importance of its enactment during the NACDS Institute program — focusing especially on how H.R. 7213 would help protect and improve care access by creating Medicare Part B direct reimbursement mechanisms for essential services provided by pharmacists, including testing and vaccination for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, such as flu and strep.
During his remarks on Sunday, NACDS Chair Brian Nightengale, president, Good Neighbor Pharmacy, called on meeting attendees “to get involved, use [their] voice, and ask [their] legislator to support H.R. 7213.”
Nightengale also noted the growing number of organizations supporting the pharmacist provider status bill. He said:
“More than 75 organizations representing patients, seniors and Americans living in rural communities have joined more than 115 organizations representing pharmacists, pharmacies and health systems to support this bipartisan legislation. We’re encouraged to see so many like-minded groups support this important bill, but we need your support, too.”
NACDS has also made available a QR code — which meeting attendees can scan in order to write their Member of Congress and urge support of the bill.
In addition to the more than 190 organizations supporting H.R. 7213, older Americans have expressed broad support for Congressional action to expand access to testing and treatment services administered by pharmacists.
A recent survey conducted by the Future of Pharmacy Care Coalition of 1,009 adults aged 64 and older found that 82% of Americans want the government to reimburse pharmacists so that they can access testing and treatments for the pandemic, flu, strep throat, and other infectious diseases.
Since the introduction of H.R. 7213 in March, NACDS, the Future of Pharmacy Care Coalition and other supportive patient and pharmacy advocates have taken to social media to communicate important updates related to the bill and bill co-sponsors and to encourage key Members of Congress to co-sponsor the legislation.
