APhA Policy Manual

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Continuity of Care and the Role of Pharmacists During Public Health and Other Emergencies

APhA asserts that pharmacists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy support staff are essential members of the healthcare team and should be actively engaged and supported in surveillance, mitigation, preparedness, planning, response, recovery, and countermeasure activities related to public health and other emergencies.
APhA reaffirms the 2016 policy on the Role of the Pharmacist in National Defense, and calls for the active and coordinated engagement of all pharmacists in public health and other emergency planning and response activities.
APhA advocates for the timely removal of legal, regulatory, and policy restrictions; practice limitations; and financial barriers during public health and other emergencies to meet immediate patient care needs.
APhA urges regulatory bodies and government agencies to recognize pharmacists' training and ability to evaluate patient needs, provide care, and appropriately refer patients during public health and other emergencies.
APhA advocates for pharmacists’ authority to ensure patient access to care through the prescribing, dispensing, and administering of medications, as well as provision of other patient care services during times of public health and other emergencies.
APhA calls for processes to ensure that any willing and able pharmacy and pharmacy practitioner is not excluded from providing pharmacist patient care services during public health and other emergencies.
APhA calls on public and private payers to establish and implement payment policies that compensate pharmacists providing patient care services, including during public health and other emergencies, within their recognized authority.
APhA advocates for the inclusion of pharmacists as essential members in the planning, development, and implementation of alternate care sites or delivery models during public health and other emergencies.
APhA reaffirms the 2015 Interoperability of Communications Among Health Care Providers to Improve Quality of Care and encourages pharmacists, as members of the healthcare team, to communicate care decisions made during public health and other emergencies with other members of the healthcare team to ensure continuity of care.