(Washington, D.C.) — The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) issued the following statement on the reintroduction of the Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services (ECAPS) Act:
“We applaud U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA) for reintroducing the Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services (ECAPS) Act to expand access to care for seniors by allowing Medicare to reimburse pharmacists for important clinical care services they provide to patients.
“PBMs recognize the critical value of pharmacists in our communities and that especially in rural areas, patients may depend on their pharmacist for more than filling prescriptions. Innovative programs between PBMs and pharmacies provide patients with a higher quality, lower cost pharmacy experience. These include expanding reimbursement for clinical services so patients can receive more care at their local pharmacies and supporting independent pharmacies in rural areas nationwide through programs to increase reimbursements on prescription drugs.
“The bipartisan ECAPS Act ‘would allow Medicare to reimburse for certain pharmacist-administered tests, treatments, and vaccinations for illnesses like influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and strep throat, in accordance with state scope-of-practice laws.’
“Pharmacists are vital health care providers to patients, regardless of geography. By expanding reimbursement to pharmacists for key clinical services, America’s seniors will have greater access to convenient care, which leads to better health outcomes and lower costs for everyone.”
Learn more about how PBMs are partnering with pharmacies to better serve patients and other innovations in the market HERE.
Read more about PCMA’s support for companion legislation introduced in the House by Reps. Adrian Smith (R-NE), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), and Doris Matsui (D-CA) HERE.
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PCMA is the national association representing America’s pharmacy benefit companies. Pharmacy benefit companies are working every day to secure savings, enable better health outcomes, and support access to quality prescription drug coverage for more than 289 million patients.
