We are pleased to report that federal legislation granting provider status to pharmacists has been introduced in both the US House and US Senate! Both of the bills, H.R. 592 and S. 314, the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act, which will increase patient access to health care through pharmacist-provided services, now begin down the path of becoming law!
We are also pleased to report that Ohio members of Congress have already stepped up in support of these bills.
In the House, as of February 4, co-sponsors for H. 592 from Ohio include Reps. Joyce Beatty, Tim Ryan, and David Joyce!
In the Senate, longtime pharmacist advocate Sen. Sherrod Brown is one of the lead sponsors of S. 314!
Lead sponsors of H.R. 592 are Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY), G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Todd Young (R-IN), and Ron Kind (D-WI). The other lead Senate sponsors of S. 314 are Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Robert Casey (D-PA), and Mark Kirk (R-IL).
Stay tuned for more details as they become available. OPA will continue to work with other state associations and national groups to push for the passage of pharmacist provider status.
We encourage you to visit PharmacistsProvideCare.com, APhA's newly redesigned website that has detailed information about the impact pharmacists have on improving patient access to health care in your state. See how provider status would impact Ohioans here.
Also, even though Ohio has several members of Congress supporting the bill, there are still some folks missing. Please contact Sen Rob Portman, and ask him to join his colleagues in support of S. 314. Also, contact your Representative, and ask them to add their name to the list of co-sponsors for H. 592!