APhA Establishes New Fund to Advance Pharmacy's Interests

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) today announced the formation of a fund that will support legal, legislative, and regulatory actions on behalf of pharmacy and the patients who rely on pharmacists' care. The fund will accept donations from individuals, institutions and corporations who want to financially support APhA's efforts to advance the profession of pharmacy.

"The APhA Pharmacy Advancement Legal Defense Fund will fuel our advocacy machine," said APhA Executive Vice President and CEO Scott J. Knoer. "We will stand tall in every arena where decisions that affect pharmacists and their patients are made."

The launch of the APhA Pharmacy Advancement Legal Defense Fund comes as the association and the profession are building momentum, pursuing and winning legal, policy, and business practice challenges that harm pharmacies and patients. Including:

• Securing pharmacy payment reform: The introduction of bipartisan legislation in the U.S. House and Senate that that would give tens of millions of Medicare patients in medically underserved communities access to critically needed primary health care services delivered by pharmacists (i.e., grant them "provider status").
• Challenging DIR fees: APhA recently joined as an equal partner in NCPA v Becerra, originally filed in January 2021 by the National Community Pharmacists Association. The lawsuit challenges a CMS final rule that opened the door for pharmacy benefit managers' (PBM) unscrupulous use of retroactive direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees to extract large sums from pharmacies weeks or months after drugs are dispensed to Medicare Part D beneficiaries.
• Addressing abusive PBM practices, and driving change through federal and state advocacy efforts
• Preserving the practice authorities secured during the emergency period of the pandemic and making them permanent.
• Protecting the integrity of the nation's drug supply by limiting the importation of unapproved medications from outside the country

"The future of pharmacy depends on our ability to make inroads in each of these critical areas," said Knoer. "The establishment of this fund is an effort to ensure we have the resources to see this fight to the finish."

Learn more about the APhA Pharmacy Advancement Legal Defense Fund here.

About the American Pharmacists Association

The American Pharmacists Association is the United States' largest association advancing the entire pharmacy profession. Our expert staff and strong volunteer leadership, including many experienced pharmacists, allow us to deliver vital resources to help pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians succeed. We tirelessly advocate for policy changes that benefit pharmacists, their patients, and their communities. For more information, please visit www.pharmacist.com.

SOURCE American Pharmacists Association