APhA Policy Manual

1. The committee recommends that APhA develop a disaster plan for the guidance of pharmacy organizations in responding to the needs of pharmacists who experience losses from disasters and that this model plan be disseminated to state associations for their reference.
2. The committee recommends that APhA cooperate with associations representing pharmaceutical manufacturers, wholesale distributors, and others in the pharmaceutical supply system in developing a mechanism to facilitate the communication of information about the losses incurred by pharmacists as a result of disasters. Those firms that make it a practice to replace uninsured losses of inventories of their products could do so promptly and efficiently so that normal pharmaceutical services to the affected community are resumed as soon as possible.

APhA supports issuing drug products to patients by non-pharmacists under the control and direction of pharmacists.

1. APhA advocates that pharmacy personnel should not work while subject to physical or mental impairment due to substances that might adversely affect their abilities to function properly in their professional capacities.
2. APhA supports establishment of counseling, treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation programs for pharmacy personnel who are subject to physical or mental impairment due to substances that might adversely affect their abilities to function in their professional capacities.
3. APhA encourages employers to provide support to pharmacy personnel in need of medical leave to address mental health and substance use disorders.
4. APhA encourages employers to provide pharmacy personnel time away from work that facilitates appropriate care for mental health or substance use disorders without retaliation.
5. APhA advocates for timely referrals to health professional recovery programs when available, even in instances where disciplinary actions may be considered.
6. APhA encourages employers to actively support pharmacy personnel in recovery for substance use disorder by offering employment opportunities and non-dispensing roles as they reintegrate into the workforce.

APhA supports and encourages a cooperative effort among state and national pharmacy associations, state boards of pharmacy, and state legislative bodies to authorize, develop, implement and maintain mechanisms for the comprehensive funding of state recovery programs for pharmacists, student pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

APhA urges the Drug Enforcement Administration, in processing employment waiver requests, to defer to the decisions of state boards of pharmacy related to the licensure of pharmacists suffering from alcohol and other chemical dependencies.

APhA endorses the concept of the "Drug–Free Workplace" and recommends that, where drug testing is performed in the workplace, it be conducted in conjunction with an employee assistance program.

APhA supports packaging all drugs intended for parenteral use in humans in single-dose containers, except where clearly not feasible.

1. APhA advocates that the public and private sectors maintain or increase their level of commitment to ensure adequate resources for both basic and applied research within a reformed health care system.
2. APhA encourages the public and private research communities to preferentially expend resources for the discovery and development of new drugs and technologies that provide substantive, innovative therapeutic advances.
3. APhA advocates an increased emphasis on outcomes research in all areas of health services, including drug and disease-specific research encompassing clinical, economic, and humanistic dimensions (e.g., quality of life, patient satisfaction, ethics) and advocates for action related to conclusions for such research.
4. APhA encourages interdisciplinary collaboration in research efforts within and between the public and private research communities.

1. APhA supports the use of the milliliter (mL) as the standard unit of measure for oral liquid medications.
2. APhA encourages the mandatory use of leading zeros before the decimal point for amounts of less than one on prescription-container labels for oral liquid medications.
3. APhA discourages the use of trailing zeros after the decimal point for amounts greater than one on prescription-container labels for oral liquid medications.
4. APhA supports access to and universal availability of dosing devices with numeric graduations that correspond to the unit of measure that is on the container’s label for oral liquid medications.

1. APhA supports the use of the milliliter (mL) as the standard unit of measure for oral liquid medications.
2. APhA encourages the mandatory use of leading zeros before the decimal point for amounts of less than one on prescription-container labels for oral liquid medications.
3. APhA discourages the use of trailing zeros after the decimal point for amounts greater than one on prescription-container labels for oral liquid medications.
4. APhA supports access to and universal availability of dosing devices with numeric graduations that correspond to the unit of measure that is on the container’s label for oral liquid medications.

APhA urges pharmacists to report all suspected cases of child abuse to proper authorities.

APhA supports the development of programs that educate pharmacy’s several publics about the cost effectiveness of drug products and related comprehensive pharmacists services.

1. APhA supports the use of the milliliter (mL) as the standard unit of measure for oral liquid medications.
2. APhA encourages the mandatory use of leading zeros before the decimal point for amounts of less than one on prescription-container labels for oral liquid medications.
3. APhA discourages the use of trailing zeros after the decimal point for amounts greater than one on prescription-container labels for oral liquid medications.
4. APhA supports access to and universal availability of dosing devices with numeric graduations that correspond to the unit of measure that is on the container’s label for oral liquid medications.

1. APhA should lead the creation of consensus-based, pharmacy profession-developed accreditation standards and methods of evaluation to optimize the quality and safety of patient care and promote best practices.
2. APhA urges that accrediting bodies use profession-developed standards for pharmacy.
3. APhA supports only those pharmacy accreditation processes that are voluntary, transparent, consensus-based, reasonably executable, and affordable, while avoiding duplication and barriers to patient care.
4. APhA opposes mandatory pharmacy accreditation.
5. APhA shall assume the leadership role among stakeholders on the design and implementation of an appropriate process for any new pharmacy accrediting program.
6. APhA supports the appropriate use of data gathered from pharmacy practice monitoring processes to facilitate the advancement of pharmacy practice and quality of patient care.

1. APhA reaffirms the 1992 Compounding Activities of Pharmacists policy, which states that APhA affirms that compounding pursuant to or in anticipation of a prescription or diagnostic preparation order is an essential part of health care that is the prerogative of the pharmacist.
2. APhA supports compounding as defined by the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB) as a means to meet patient drug therapy needs.
3. APhA opposes compounding when identical medications are commercially and readily available in strength and dosage form to meet patient drug therapy needs.
4. APhA asserts that compounding is subject to regulations and oversight from state boards of pharmacy. APhA urges state boards of pharmacy to identify and take appropriate action against entities who are illegally manufacturing medications under the guise of compounding.
5. APhA supports accreditation of compounding sites by PCAB to ensure patient safety. APhA encourages state boards of pharmacy to recommend accreditation for those sites that engage in more than basic non-sterile compounding as defined by PCAB.
6. APhA supports the development of education, training and recognition programs that enhance pharmacist and student pharmacist knowledge and skills to engage in compounding beyond basic, non-sterile preparations as defined by PCAB.
7. APhA encourages the exploration of a specialty certification in compounding through the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties (BPS).

1. APhA recommends that all pharmacists incorporate principles and tools available to continually improve the quality of patient care and management activities in their practices.
2. APhA recommends that content on principles and tools available to continually improve the quality of patient care and management practices be incorporated into pharmacy school curricula and into post-graduate education for pharmacists.
3. APhA supports appropriate evaluation and recognition of providers of pharmaceutical care.

1. APhA believes that quality assessment measures must evaluate the accessibility, acceptability, and technical quality of pharmacy services, as well as the patient-centered and economic outcomes of patient care. These measures must consider the perspectives of patients, pharmacists, and other health care providers.
2. APhA believes quality assessment measures of patient care should be tested for validity and reliability in various pharmacy practice settings prior to widespread application.
3. APhA should develop tools and/or programs that enable pharmacists to apply quality assessment measures to their delivery of patient care.
4. APhA should promote efforts to educate patients, pharmacists, other health care providers, payers, policy makers, and other interested parties on the appropriate use of quality assessment measures to evaluate and improve the delivery of patient care.

1. APhA should lead the creation of consensus-based, pharmacy profession-developed accreditation standards and methods of evaluation to optimize the quality and safety of patient care and promote best practices.
2. APhA urges that accrediting bodies use profession-developed standards for pharmacy.
3. APhA supports only those pharmacy accreditation processes that are voluntary, transparent, consensus-based, reasonably executable, and affordable, while avoiding duplication and barriers to patient care.
4. APhA opposes mandatory pharmacy accreditation.
5. APhA shall assume the leadership role among stakeholders on the design and implementation of an appropriate process for any new pharmacy accrediting program.
6. APhA supports the appropriate use of data gathered from pharmacy practice monitoring processes to facilitate the advancement of pharmacy practice and quality of patient care.

1. APhA recommends that all pharmacists incorporate principles and tools available to continually improve the quality of patient care and management activities in their practices.
2. APhA recommends that content on principles and tools available to continually improve the quality of patient care and management practices be incorporated into pharmacy school curricula and into post-graduate education for pharmacists.
3. APhA supports appropriate evaluation and recognition of providers of pharmaceutical care.