|
|
Issues |
Compounding
The practice of compounding is a fundamental and traditional component of the pharmacy profession, allowing a pharmacist to tailor a medication to an individual patient’s needs. APhA supports compounding, pursuant to or in anticipation of a prescription or diagnostic preparation order, as an essential part of health care.
›› more info
| Conscience Clause
The ability of health professionals to opt out of services they find personally objectionable is an important component of the health care system. APhA’s policy supports the ability of a pharmacist to opt out of dispensing a prescription or providing a service for personal reasons and also supports the establishment of systems so that the patient’s access to appropriate health care is not disrupted.
›› More info
| Consumer Medication Information/MedGuides
Written consumer medication information (CMI) is one method pharmacists use to provide their patients with information on the proper use of their medications, possible side effects, adverse reactions, and general information. Efforts to improve these communications are underway.
›› more info
| Controlled Substances / DEA Policy
APhA supports DEA efforts to curb the abuse and diversion of controlled substances through various regulations and guidance. However, any efforts must be carefully balanced to ensure that patients can access necessary medications.
›› more info
| Counterfeit Drugs
Prescription medications are one of the most valuable weapons we have in our health care arsenal today. Because of their value, medications are highly susceptible to counterfeiting. Counterfeit drugs are illegal, unsafe, and pose a serious threat to public health. Increasing the safety and security of the U.S. drug supply, and protecting it from the increasing threat of counterfeit drugs is critically important.
›› more info
| Drug & Provider Identifiers
The National Provider Identifier (NPI) is a standard unique identifier that can be used to identify the provider in transactions with federal and state programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, and in claim transactions with other third party payors. HIPAA covered entities, including pharmacists, are required to begin using the NPI by May 23, 2007.
›› more info
| Durable Medical Equipment
The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) requires suppliers of durable medical equipment (DME), prosthetics, orthotics, supplies (DMEPOS) and other items and services to comply with quality standards established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Suppliers must meet the quality standards in order to receive a supplier billing number and to obtain payment for items or services furnished under Medicare Part B. It is important to preserve Medicare beneficiaries’ convenient access to DMEPOS supplies, and to maintain established provider/patient relationships.
›› more info
| E-Prescribing Standards/Health IT
Recognizing the potential benefit of electronic-prescribing (e-prescribing), the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) called for the creation of uniform standards for the electronic transmission of prescription information under Medicare. Use of electronic prescribing is voluntary for providers (prescribers and pharmacists) but mandatory for Medicare prescription drug plans. E-prescribing may provide pharmacists, physicians, and other members of the health care team with access to patient medical records, as well as information about a patient’s drug utilization history, possible drug interactions, Medicare drug benefit plan, and information about lower-cost, therapeutically appropriate alternatives.
›› more info
| FDA
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is responsible for regulating food, dietary supplements, drugs, biological medical products, blood products, medical devices, radiation-emitting devices, veterinary products, and cosmetics in the United States.
›› more info
| Importation / Internet Pharmacy
Public pressure for lower prescription medication prices has prompted Congress and other policymakers to explore the possibility of legalizing prescription drug importation. As currently practiced or proposed, the suggested benefits of prescription drug importation do not outweigh the many real risks to patients.
›› more info
| Medicaid
Medicaid is a state-administered federal program to provide health insurance for certain low-income individuals. Congress and State Medicaid Directors continue to seek ways to control the escalating costs in this program, the expenditures for which have grown considerably in recent years and have become larger percentages of state budgets. Recent federal proposals attempt to curb these costs through significant reductions to pharmacy reimbursement. To ensure continued access to pharmacies, Medicaid must adequately compensate for both drug products, and pharmacist services.
›› more info
| Medicare Part B
Historically, Medicare Part B has covered a limited number of prescription drugs such as drugs supplied through durable medical equipment (DME), hemophilia clotting drugs, immunosuppressive drugs, oral anti-cancer drugs, oral anti-emetic drugs, parenteral nutrition, other injectable or intravenous drugs administered by a physician, and some vaccines (influenza, pneumococcal, hepatitis B). With the implementation of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit, there are some exceptions in which a drug could be billed to either Part B or Part D depending on how the drug is used.
›› more info
| Medicare Part D
The Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit, created by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), began in January 2006. Part D is an optional benefit generally available to beneficiaries for an additional cost. The program is an important first step towards providing Medicare beneficiaries access to necessary medications. However, remaining program weaknesses must be addressed to ensure continued patient access to community pharmacists.
›› more info
| Medication Therapy Management
The purpose of medication therapy management (MTM) programs is to provide services that will optimize therapeutic outcomes for patients. As the medication expert on the health care team, pharmacists are well equipped to provide MTM services. MTM programs such as the Asheville Project and the Diabetes Ten City Challenge have proven highly successful. Similar programs are required as part of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit, created by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, which began in January 2006. Prescription drug plans that offer a Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit must provide a subset of their chronically ill Medicare beneficiaries a MTM program.
›› more info
| Other Issues
More issues impacting the profession.
›› more info
| Patient Confidentiality
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s (HIPAA) privacy regulation “Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information” was created to protect the privacy of patient health records. It requires most pharmacists and pharmacies to comply with restrictions on the use and disclosure of protected health information (PHI), and to inform patients how their PHI will be used.
›› more info
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
