FEDERAL ACTION IS NEEDED TO ENSURE PATIENT ACCESS TO PHARMACIST SERVICES

The Issue

As the most accessible health care provider, pharmacists play a front-line role in managing chronic disease and protecting seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries from common infectious diseases. Patients visit pharmacies nearly twice as frequently as they visit primary care physicians, and in the 2023-2024 respiratory season, pharmacists administered 74% of vaccinations in the United States. Pharmacists continuously mobilize to reach and care for vulnerable senior communities, rural Americans, and those in medically underserved areas.

The Problem

In recent years, 70%-85% of seasonal flu-related deaths in the United States have been amongst senior populations, yet as many of half of these could have been prevented with the flu vaccine. During the 2023-2024 flu season, the flu vaccine prevented 9.8 million flu-related illnesses, 4.8 million medical visits, 120,000 hospitalizations, and 7,900 deaths.

While Americans with private insurance, Medicaid beneficiaries, and federal employees may be covered, Congress must act to ensure access to these essential pharmacist services in Medicare. Without a federal reimbursement mechanism for pharmacist services, Medicare beneficiaries will not have access to essential care and services provided by pharmacists.

The Solution

Congress must enact the Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Service Act (ECAPS) to provide payment for essential pharmacist services under Medicare Part B and ensure pharmacists can continue to protect seniors from the threat of influenza, RSV, and other common infectious diseases. Operating within state scope-of-practice laws that already allow for the delivery of select services by pharmacists, this legislation will ensure seniors maintain access to essential testing, treatment, and vaccination services for select diseases.

ECAPS will help to address the growing number of pharmacy closures nationwide by relieving the economic burden many of these pharmacies face, enabling them to continue providing essential care to rural and senior communities.