APhA Policy Manual

1. APhA supports education about digital health technologies and integration in pharmacy practice, in pharmacy school curricula, and for the pharmacy workforce.
2. APhA supports inclusion of pharmacists in the design and development of digital health technologies.
3. APhA supports that digital health technologies be interoperable with and integrated into pharmacy management systems and electronic health records.
4. APhA supports pharmacists applying digital health technologies to optimize patient care outcomes.

1. APhA supports the development of electronic systems that enhance and simplify the ability of pharmacists in all practice settings to receive, send, and track referrals among all members of the health care team, including other pharmacists, irrespective of the health care system, model, or network in which the patient participates.
2. APhA supports the interoperability and integration of referral tracking systems with electronic health records so patients can receive the benefit of optimally coordinated care from all members of the health care team.

1. APhA strongly urges all employers of pharmacists and pharmacy personnel, and the settings in which they practice, to implement protection and control measures and procedures, per consensus recommendations when available, and access to protective gear and cleaning supplies that ensure the safety of pharmacy personnel and that of their family members and the public.
2. APhA urges federal and state government officials, manufacturers, distributors, and health system administrators to recognize pharmacists and pharmacy personnel as “front-line providers” who should receive appropriate personal protective equipment and other resources to protect their personal safety and support their ability to continue to provide patient care.

APhA supports coordination of patients’ comprehensive pharmacy and medical benefits that allows for provision of and compensation for pharmacists’ patient care services; aligns incentives to optimize patient outcomes; streamlines administrative processes; reduces overall health care costs and preserves patients’ right to choose providers under their pharmacy and medical benefits.

1. APhA recognizes that certain complex medications require more specialized care and resources. Further, APhA asserts that delineation of medications as specialty versus non-specialty, and associated payer and manufacturer practices, may introduce continuity of care disruption, patient access issues, and financial inequities.
2. APhA supports pharmacists and pharmacies choosing to specialize or incorporate specialty pharmacy services into their practice to optimize patient outcomes.
3. APhA opposes payer policies and practices that limit patient choice of pharmacy providers, disrupt continuity of care, or compromise patient safety through the creation of specialty drug lists, and restrictive specialty pharmacy networks.
4. APhA opposes manufacturer distribution and related business practices that restrict patient or pharmacy access to medications, medical products, and patient care services.
5. APhA advocates for the adoption of pharmacy profession-developed, harmonized practice standards for specialized pharmacy practices, and specialty pharmacy services and products.
6. APhA encourages increased availability and use of data integration, patient financial assistance, and other resources to inform clinical practice and support the provision of specialized pharmacy practices and specialty pharmacy services.
7. APhA supports the availability of education and training for pharmacists and student pharmacists related to specialized pharmacy practices and specialty pharmacy services.

1. APhA supports the role of the pharmacist to select appropriate drug product packaging.
2. APhA supports the pharmaceutical industry’s performance of compatibility and stability testing of drug products in officially defined containers to assist pharmacist selection of appropriate drug product packaging.
3. APhA supports the value of unit-of-use packaging to enhance patient care but recognizes that product and patient needs may preclude its use.
4. APhA encourages the pharmaceutical industry to ensure that all unit-of-use packaging will accommodate a standard pharmacy label.

APhA supports coordination of patients’ comprehensive pharmacy and medical benefits that allows for provision of and compensation for pharmacists’ patient care services; aligns incentives to optimize patient outcomes; streamlines administrative processes; reduces overall health care costs and preserves patients’ right to choose providers under their pharmacy and medical benefits.

1. APhA supports education about digital health technologies and integration in pharmacy practice, in pharmacy school curricula, and for the pharmacy workforce.
2. APhA supports inclusion of pharmacists in the design and development of digital health technologies.
3. APhA supports that digital health technologies be interoperable with and integrated into pharmacy management systems and electronic health records.
4. APhA supports pharmacists applying digital health technologies to optimize patient care outcomes.

1. APhA strongly urges all employers of pharmacists and pharmacy personnel, and the settings in which they practice, to implement protection and control measures and procedures, per consensus recommendations when available, and access to protective gear and cleaning supplies that ensure the safety of pharmacy personnel and that of their family members and the public.
2. APhA urges federal and state government officials, manufacturers, distributors, and health system administrators to recognize pharmacists and pharmacy personnel as “front-line providers” who should receive appropriate personal protective equipment and other resources to protect their personal safety and support their ability to continue to provide patient care.

1. APhA recognizes that certain complex medications require more specialized care and resources. Further, APhA asserts that delineation of medications as specialty versus non-specialty, and associated payer and manufacturer practices, may introduce continuity of care disruption, patient access issues, and financial inequities.
2. APhA supports pharmacists and pharmacies choosing to specialize or incorporate specialty pharmacy services into their practice to optimize patient outcomes.
3. APhA opposes payer policies and practices that limit patient choice of pharmacy providers, disrupt continuity of care, or compromise patient safety through the creation of specialty drug lists, and restrictive specialty pharmacy networks.
4. APhA opposes manufacturer distribution and related business practices that restrict patient or pharmacy access to medications, medical products, and patient care services.
5. APhA advocates for the adoption of pharmacy profession-developed, harmonized practice standards for specialized pharmacy practices, and specialty pharmacy services and products.
6. APhA encourages increased availability and use of data integration, patient financial assistance, and other resources to inform clinical practice and support the provision of specialized pharmacy practices and specialty pharmacy services.
7. APhA supports the availability of education and training for pharmacists and student pharmacists related to specialized pharmacy practices and specialty pharmacy services.

1. APhA supports the development of standardized training in immunization administration and continuing education opportunities for immunizing pharmacy technicians.
2. APhA supports immunizing pharmacist’s individual discretion in delegating immunization administration to pharmacy technicians with the requisite education, training, and experience.
3. APhA supports voluntary participation by pharmacy technicians in the training and provision of immunization administration.
4. APhA supports the role of immunizing pharmacists as the healthcare professional providing clinical patient assessment, decision making, and patient counseling when delegating immunization administration to a pharmacy technician.

1. APhA supports the development of standardized training in immunization administration and continuing education opportunities for immunizing pharmacy technicians.
2. APhA supports immunizing pharmacist’s individual discretion in delegating immunization administration to pharmacy technicians with the requisite education, training, and experience.
3. APhA supports voluntary participation by pharmacy technicians in the training and provision of immunization administration.
4. APhA supports the role of immunizing pharmacists as the healthcare professional providing clinical patient assessment, decision making, and patient counseling when delegating immunization administration to a pharmacy technician.

1. APhA supports the development of electronic systems that enhance and simplify the ability of pharmacists in all practice settings to receive, send, and track referrals among all members of the health care team, including other pharmacists, irrespective of the health care system, model, or network in which the patient participates.
2. APhA supports the interoperability and integration of referral tracking systems with electronic health records so patients can receive the benefit of optimally coordinated care from all members of the health care team.

APhA supports coordination of patients’ comprehensive pharmacy and medical benefits that allows for provision of and compensation for pharmacists’ patient care services; aligns incentives to optimize patient outcomes; streamlines administrative processes; reduces overall health care costs and preserves patients’ right to choose providers under their pharmacy and medical benefits.

1. APhA supports labeling of all prescription and nonprescription products, as well as dietary supplement products, to indicate the presence of gluten.
2. APhA encourages manufacturers to formulate drug products without use of wheat, barley, rye, or their derivatives whenever possible.
3. APhA supports additional research on the effects of gluten intolerance and celiac malabsorption, particularly as it relates to medication absorption.
4. APhA supports pharmacist education regarding celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
5. APhA encourages the development of analytical methods that can accurately detect lower levels of gluten than the current standard (20 ppm) and for the establishment of evidence-based gluten-free standards for the labeling of foods, excipients, dietary supplements, and prescription and nonprescription products.

1. APhA recognizes that certain complex medications require more specialized care and resources. Further, APhA asserts that delineation of medications as specialty versus non-specialty, and associated payer and manufacturer practices, may introduce continuity of care disruption, patient access issues, and financial inequities.
2. APhA supports pharmacists and pharmacies choosing to specialize or incorporate specialty pharmacy services into their practice to optimize patient outcomes.
3. APhA opposes payer policies and practices that limit patient choice of pharmacy providers, disrupt continuity of care, or compromise patient safety through the creation of specialty drug lists, and restrictive specialty pharmacy networks.
4. APhA opposes manufacturer distribution and related business practices that restrict patient or pharmacy access to medications, medical products, and patient care services.
5. APhA advocates for the adoption of pharmacy profession-developed, harmonized practice standards for specialized pharmacy practices, and specialty pharmacy services and products.
6. APhA encourages increased availability and use of data integration, patient financial assistance, and other resources to inform clinical practice and support the provision of specialized pharmacy practices and specialty pharmacy services.
7. APhA supports the availability of education and training for pharmacists and student pharmacists related to specialized pharmacy practices and specialty pharmacy services.

1. APhA supports the development of standardized training in immunization administration and continuing education opportunities for immunizing pharmacy technicians.
2. APhA supports immunizing pharmacist’s individual discretion in delegating immunization administration to pharmacy technicians with the requisite education, training, and experience.
3. APhA supports voluntary participation by pharmacy technicians in the training and provision of immunization administration.
4. APhA supports the role of immunizing pharmacists as the healthcare professional providing clinical patient assessment, decision making, and patient counseling when delegating immunization administration to a pharmacy technician.

1. APhA encourages the continued availability of vaccines to meet public health needs.
2. APhA supports the development of programs that educate the public about the role of immunizations in public health.
3. APhA supports the reimbursement by public and private third-party payers for immunizations.