After five senators reintroduced a bill that looks to expand pharmacists' scope of practice and increase Medicare reimbursement for those extra services, pharmacist organizations applauded the proposed legislation.
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley and four other states' senators reintroduced the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act on May 10, which, if passed, would allow and reimburse pharmacists to provide some patient care services in communities with not enough physicians.
With the caveat of state laws on what pharmacists are authorized to do, the bill seeks to allow pharmacists to manage chronic conditions, conduct point-of-care testing and cholesterol testing, provide transition-of-care services, screen and administer immunizations not already covered by Medicare, and enact tobacco cessation services.
Ilisa Bernstein, PharmD, interim executive vice president and CEO of the American Pharmacists Association, and Paul Abramowitz, PharmD, CEO of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, issued a joint statement.
"Patients living in medically underserved communities often struggle to access the care they need, and pharmacists have proven to be an essential source of care for these patients," they said. "This important legislation helps ensure seniors living in rural and other underserved communities have improved access to the care they need from a pharmacist they trust."