The legislation
For two years, the pandemic has demonstrated how essential pharmacists are in providing care and services—especially to patients in under-represented, underserved, and/or rural communities. In fact, pharmacists administered more COVID-19 vaccine doses than any other health care professional. The Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act (ECAPS), H.R. 1770, S. 2477 was introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S Senate this year. If passed, this legislation would enable Medicare patients to receive timely and consistent treatment from pharmacists for pandemic-related health services and would allow pharmacists to respond to ongoing and future public health threats to our nation. This bill establishes a federal reimbursement mechanism for pharmacists’ services under Medicare Part B, addresses existing limitations in our laws, and ensures patients can continue to access essential care and services provided by pharmacists, who are the most trusted and accessible health care professionals on whom entire communities have come to rely.
Read the legislation
APhA statement
To ensure Medicare patients can continue to access essential care and services provided by pharmacists, the American Pharmacists Association, a lead partner in the Future of Pharmacy Care Coalition, strongly supports the Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act (ECAPS). (H.R. 1770), which was introduced by Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE), Congressman Bradley Schneider (D-IL), Congressman Larry Bucshon (R-IN), and Congresswoman Doris Matui (D-CA).
This legislation will ensure patients continue to have access to essential pandemic and pandemic-related care services provided by pharmacists, including services to keep communities safe from COVID-19 and future public health crises.
Read the APhA statement