AMCP Welcomes President Obama's $5 Million Proposal for Health IT Standards

PRESS RELEASE

Alexandria, Va., February 3, 2015 — The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) is pleased that President Obama has included $5 million in his proposed fiscal year 2016 budget to help create electronic standards that will allow providers to send secure patient data between different information technology (IT) systems.

The following statement is from AMCP Chief Executive Officer Edith A. Rosato, RPh, IOM:

“AMCP has long supported health IT interoperability efforts such as this one — under the Obama Administration’s Precision Medicine Initiative — and will continue to advocate for even greater funding in this area.

“The pharmacy sector, in fact, has been a leader in health IT with its use of electronic prescribing and has much to offer the broader health care industry as it develops electronic systems that improve efficiency while ensuring patient safety and privacy. AMCP, for example, has worked with pharmacy stakeholders to develop e-prescribing standards and continues to work closely with industry to help improve pharmacists’ ability to offer medication therapy management through the use of standardized coding.

“AMCP also is particularly pleased with the pharmacy’s prominent role in the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology draft Interoperability Roadmap for 2015-2025. The roadmap (released January 30) recognizes pharmacists as providers of health care services, something that will be especially important as more and more Americans gain health coverage and seek care through managed programs. Electronic health record systems must recognize pharmacists as meaningful users of the technology.”