March 20, 2020 - The National Community Pharmacists Association is pleased to endorse a joint set of policy recommendations critical to a full response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is challenging all areas of our health care system and drawing attention to pharmacists' important role on the front lines of patient care. The recommendations were developed by organizations representing the interests of all pharmacists in the United States.
NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, pharmacist, MBA, said, "As the coronavirus pandemic continues having huge implications on our health care system, small business neighborhood pharmacies are proving what we say all the time: that they are crucial to the health of their community, whether in crisis or not. These recommendations will enable pharmacists to more easily serve their patients. Policymakers should adopt them with urgency to support pharmacists as we work to support our friends and neighbors."
The organizations are calling on policymakers to adopt measures to authorize pharmacists to test-treat-immunize; ease operational barriers to address workforce and workflow issues; address shortages and continuity of care; and be reimbursed for services and remove other restrictions such as the specific day's supply requirement from copay waivers for essential, life-sustaining medications and those around home or mail delivery. The full list of recommendations can be found here.