Association Perspective
Scott J. Knoer, MS, PharmD, FASHP, APhA EVP and CEO
It was amazing to see everyone in San Antonio at the first pharmacy-wide in-person meeting since 2019! Wow! I was astounded at what I saw!
This was my first in-person APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition since becoming CEO. It’s interesting to meet so many people for the first time who I had seen only via their social media posts and podcasts as well as their advocacy on PBM reform, provider status in various states, and workplace issues. When I actually met folks face-to-face, it was nice that we were already acquainted.
And how about the programming?!?! Seeing the first keynote was inspirational. That panel discussion embodied my vision of the future of community pharmacy. I am proud that the work we did at the Ohio Pharmacists Association (OPA) to transform collaborative practice agreements and pass provider status has blossomed into a sustainable pharmacy model in an underserved area.
If you missed the meeting, let me bring you up to speed. OPA worked tirelessly with hospitals and community pharmacists to advance pharmacists’ scope of practice so that they actually get paid for those clinical services through provider status.
After the law was passed, things stalled. The Ohio Department of Medicaid did not initially create billing codes, so pharmacists could not bill for their services. OPA’s work was stifled.
But did they sit still? No! Team OPA worked with lawmakers and reporters at The Columbus Dispatch to point out that Ohio had underserved areas that could significantly benefit if pharmacists were empowered.
This pressure worked. Medicaid created billing codes and made pharmacist-provided services a covered benefit for all beneficiaries. Then Team OPA worked directly with state health plans, developed training programs, and partnered with local pharmacies so they can provide clinical services AND get paid for it!
The panel embodied pharmacy advocacy and how our pharmacy compatriots across the U.S. are not waiting for the Feds to move. We are learning from each other’s successes and moving the ball forward.
This panel demonstrated how a state society worked with state legislators like Ohio House Representatives Scott Lipps and Thomas West to initiate change. They also showcased how essential journalism is to blowing wind in the sails of reform, like we saw in Ohio through the incredible work of The Columbus Dispatch and Ohio Capital Journal.
Then we heard directly from pharmacists Nnodum Iheme and Emmanuel Ayanjoke from ZIKS Family Pharmacy in the inner-city Wright-Dunbar District of Dayton, OH, who care for an underserved community of color and predominant Medicaid population.
We heard how these amazing pharmacists rolled up their sleeves to pivot their care delivery model in partnership with OPA and top leadership at CareSource, the largest Medicaid-managed care plan in Ohio.
During the panel discussion, CareSource senior pharmacy leader Nick Trego highlighted the value that the teams at ZIKS Family Pharmacy and Camden Village Pharmacy provided their beneficiaries in meeting their treatment goals. We also heard how OPA sent pharmacists to ZIKS to train their staff.
Then, the best part: we saw a video of an 85-year-old patient whose diabetes had previously been out of control. This patient told the story of how he had a 31% decrease in his A1C because of ZIKS pharmacist interventions! CareSource’s Trego followed up this anecdote by explaining how paying pharmacists for clinical services actually decreased overall health care costs.
This meeting demonstrated the impact we have on health care. Together, we can carry this mission further. ■