Include Pharmacists on Chronic Care Teams, NCPA Tells Senate Panel

Press Release

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) has provided Senate Finance Committee leaders with a range of pro-patient, pro-pharmacist proposals for the panel’s Chronic Care Working Group to consider to improve care.

“We are encouraged to see the Committee’s commitment to advancing team-based care,” NCPA wrote in a letter to the committee. “Our recommendation is to include pharmacists as essential health care providers on chronic care teams and the designated lead in coordinating safe and effective medication management.”

NCPA’s feedback included the following areas as the committee process continues:

• Expanding the independence at home model of care to include community pharmacists on the care team.

• Improving care management services for individuals with multiple chronic conditions. The Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act (S. 314 / H.R. 592) would permit pharmacists to perform patient care services consistent with their state’s scope of practice in pharmacies located in medically underserved areas (as are many independent community pharmacies).

• Expanding access to prediabetes education. For example, broaden coverage of diabetes self-management training (DSMT) to include beneficiaries with a diagnosis of prediabetes, and make the Medicare Part B reimbursement process more attractive and practical for pharmacies providing these services.

• Medication synchronization. Examples include a recent demonstration program announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to enhance Medication Therapy Management in Part D as well as the need for broader Part D plan coverage for personalized, coordinated refill programs such as Simplify My Meds®.

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The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA®) represents the interests of America's community pharmacists, including the owners of more than 22,000 independent community pharmacies. Together they represent an $81.4 billion health care marketplace and employ more than 314,000 individuals on a full or part-time basis. To learn more, go to www.ncpanet.org, visit facebook.com/commpharmacy, or follow NCPA on Twitter @Commpharmacy.