Pharmacists have made significant authority gains over the past year, as many regulations went into effect that expanded pharmacists’ scope of practice amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, because these authorities were enacted under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act, many of them are temporary and only in effect during the public health emergency.
In a session held during the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) 2021 Annual Meeting and Exposition, which is held virtually March 12-15, policy experts discussed key advocacy efforts and legislative enhancements for pharmacy practice during and beyond the pandemic.
“From the start of the pandemic, it was clear that pharmacists had and will have a significant role in patient care and pandemic response,” Ilisa Bernstein, PharmD, JD, senior vice president of pharmacy practice and government affairs at APhA, said in the presentation.
Bernstein pointed to key advocacy areas that APhA is focusing on right now:
Authority to test/treat/immunize for COVID-19 and childhood vaccinations
Reimbursement for pharmacist services
Pharmacists as frontline providers, to ensure adequate personal protective equipment, workplace conditions and protections, and policies and procedures
Pharmacies as essential vaccine access points for distribution, vaccine-confidence, and information
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