White House Petition Seeks to Recognize Pharmacists as Health Care Providers

eMAR

11 years ago

Categories: FeaturedIn the News / Politics

White House Petition Seeks to Recognize Pharmacists as Health Care Providers

By: Mohamed Dungersi, Associate Student Editor

–

A recent We the People petition on the White House official website has reached the 25,000 signature threshold needed to trigger an official response. The petition tilted “Recognize pharmacists as health care providers”, was initiated by the current editor in chief of the Rho Chi Post, Steve Soman.¹ Currently the petition has well over 30,000 signatures.

Started on December 27^th, 2012, the petition quickly gathered support and within twelve days, the 25,000 signatures were secured. The petition was inspired by a similar petition on the change.org website started by Sandra Leal, PharmD, CDE, who Steve interviewed last year for the Rho Chi Post. (The interview can be accessed via the following link: http://rhochistj.org/newsletter/RhoChiPost_-_Vol_1,_Issue_5.pdf)

He said in regards to the petition, “I put it on my Facebook account as well as sent it to a few classmates at St. John’s. It was a chain reaction. Every individual that I shared it with, they sent it to their friends, their coworkers, their bosses.”²

The petition aims to raise awareness for the fact that pharmacists are not listed as healthcare providers under the Social Security Act. This plays a vital role in the compensation structure allowed under Medicare. The petition states, “By changing the compensation structure allowed under Medicare, we can ensure that patients have access to the medication expertise of pharmacists.” It further states, “Studies have shown that when a pharmacist is directly involved in patient care, patients have fewer adverse drug reactions, experience improved outcomes, and health care costs are reduced.”¹

The petition has led to wide-spread support from pharmacists around the country and pharmacy organizations such as ASHP, APhA, and ACCP were quick to throw their support behind the grassroots movement.

ASHP CEO Paul Abramowitz, PharmD, FASHP, applauded the initiative behind the petition effort and encouraged ASHP members to sign the petition, and also to watch for calls to action by the Society and a pharmacy-wide coalition in the coming months. “Our advocacy efforts will focus on multiple fronts, including influencing elected members of the U. S. Congress to pass legislation that will amend the Social Security Act to recognize pharmacists as providers,” he said. “We encourage every ASHP member to reach out to their member of Congress to set the groundwork for this effort.” He further stated in a column on ASHP’s intersections, “The data are conclusive: Pharmacists improve medication-use outcomes for patients when they are included on the patient-care team.”^3,4

“This quick response by the profession represents an interest in pursuing recognition for the value of pharmacists’ clinical services. The petition vehicle is one activity that pharmacists and student pharmacists can contribute to the initiative,” said Jenelle L. Sobotka, PharmD, FAPhA, APhA President. “We fully recognize the importance of getting pharmacists ‘on the list’ and recognized as providers of patient care services. I believe the response to this petition shows a united profession. APhA is pursuing provider status as its top priority,” said Steven T. Simenson, BSPharm, FAPhA, FACA, FACVP, APhA President-elect and Chair of APhA’s Provider Status Task Force.²

Speaking to the APhA official website, Steve discussed the impact he expects the petition to have, “The petition will be a public awareness–raising tool… It is not going to have a legislative impact. However, it will highlight the issue that pharmacists are underutilized in the health care system, as well as gain official recognition of this from the [Obama] administration.”²

On behalf of the Editorial team of the Rho Chi Post, we would like to congratulate Steve for his positive contribution to the pharmacy community.

SOURCES: