May 21, 2026 | Category: Uncategorized
Today, the Future of Pharmacy Care Coalition applauded the House Committee on Ways and Means’ passage of the Main Street Pharmacy Access Act (H.R. 3164).
Senior populations are particularly susceptible to respiratory illnesses, and those living in rural areas often find themselves without convenient access to care within their communities.
H.R. 3164 would allow pharmacists to receive payment from Medicare Part B to provide testing and treatment to seniors for common respiratory illnesses — such as flu, strep, and RSV — only in states that already authorize pharmacists to provide such services. In eligible states, this means seniors can receive the care they need close to home and turn to their neighborhood pharmacist as a first point of care.
“The Future of Pharmacy Care Coalition applauds the House Ways and Means Committee for recognizing the unique healthcare needs of seniors, particularly those living in rural and underserved communities, and for advancing H.R. 3164 out of committee. The Coalition strongly urges House leadership to bring the bill to a floor vote and ensure seniors can access the essential care they need at their local pharmacy.”
H.R. 3164 is authored by Reps. Adrian Smith (R-NE), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), and Doris Matsui (D-CA). The Senate companion legislation, S. 2426, was introduced by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance.
Full bill text can be found here.
Critical Role of America’s Pharmacists
- Pharmacists are the Most Accessible Health Care Provider. Nine in 10 Americans live within five miles of a pharmacy, and patients visit their community pharmacist approximately twice as frequently as they visit primary care physicians.
- Pharmacists are Often the Only Qualified Health Care Provider for Rural Americans. Rural Americans often rely on pharmacists as the only qualified health care provider in their community.
- Pharmacists Help Keep Seniors, Particularly Those Living in Rural & Other Underserved Communities, Healthy. More than half of pharmacists (55%) work in a community-based setting and 77% of community pharmacies serve populations of 50,000 or fewer.
About the Future of Pharmacy Care Coalition
The Future of Pharmacy Care Coalition is a group representing pharmacists and community pharmacies of all sizes serving millions of patients daily across the United States. Coalition members supporting the legislation include Abbott, American Pharmacists Association (APhA), American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), Cardinal Health, Cencora, CVS Health, Good Neighbor Pharmacy, Health Mart, Kroger, McKesson, Medicine Shoppe, National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), Walgreens, Walmart, and XiFin, Inc.