File photo, courtesy governor.pa.gov
Pennsylvania Governor Wolf (D) on July 11 signed legislation to enhance families’ access to immunizations for children at the pharmacy. House Bill 2679 will allow pharmacists and pharmacy interns to administer COVID and flu vaccines to children down to the age of 5. Currently, the only vaccine that pharmacists can administer to children is influenza – and only to those 9 years of age and older.
NACDS joins member companies, the Pennsylvania Association of Chain Drug Stores, and the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association in lauding this important progress in Pennsylvania.
NACDS collaborated with our partners to help make the case for this legislation. In one example of the communications support for this legislation, Penn Live/Harrisburg Patriot-News published an op-ed by Victoria E. Elliott, MBA, CAE, chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association, and Rick Seipp, vice president of pharmacy for NACDS-member Weis Market and president of the Pennsylvania Association of Chain Drug Stores. Penn Live/Harrisburg Patriot-News went on to editorialize in favor of the legislation.
“Together we have sacrificed a lot to get through the COVID-19 pandemic. It is understandable that many want to move on. Still, a critical job remains – acting on the emergency’s lessons once and for all so our sacrifices are not in vain.”
— Op-ed by Victoria Elliott and Rick Seipp
As federal and state advocacy continues for additional progress, NACDS has launched digital content that reminds decision-makers about pharmacies’ irreplaceable work as the face of neighborhood healthcare. Social media graphics are available – as is an audio news release launched just this week that is achieving placements on radio stations in key locations.
To enhance patient access and health equity, based on pharmacy’s proven effectiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic, NACDS simultaneously is working:
- to make permanent at the state level the pharmacy flexibilities made possible by the federal Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act;
- to extend the federal flexibilities through October 2024; and
- to establish reliable Medicare Part B reimbursement pathways through federal legislation – H.R. 7213, the Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act.
Thank you to all NACDS member companies and to all of NACDS’ partners for their engagement in this important work on behalf of the American people.
