APhA Policy Manual

APhA supports the initiation of a collaborative/federated organizational structure that brings pharmacy organizations together. This model will unify pharmacy’s voice in healthcare and regulatory settings, improve operational efficiencies, conserve limited resources, and will preserve individual organizational identities and traditions all for the benefit of the profession of pharmacy.

APhA supports pharmaceutical industry adoption of a “transparent pricing” system that would eliminate hidden discounts, free goods, and other subtle economic devices.

APhA opposes any manufacturer–provider relationship that involves product licensing agreements and/or restricted distribution arrangements that infringe on pharmacists’ rights to provide pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical care to their patients.

APhA supports the requirements that all drug manufacturers must obtain a federal license or registration, conditioned upon an inspection of the manufacturer’s facilities before manufacturing is begun.

1. the use of contemporary communications technologies to enhance communication of recall information to all relevant parties;
2. developing and promoting strategies to identify and communicate with patients who may have received recalled products, when appropriate;
3. identifying compensation mechanisms for resources expended in responding to recalls; and
4. maintaining the FDA recall program, which ensures that appropriate promptness of action can be taken based on the depth and severity of the recall.

1. APhA recognizes the value of pharmacist-provided point-of-care testing and related clinical services and promotes the provision of those tests and services in accordance with the Joint Commission of Pharmacy Practitioners Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process.
2. APhA advocates for laws, regulations, and policies that enable pharmacist-provided point-of-care testing and related clinical services that are consistent with the pharmacists’ role in team-based care.
3. APhA opposes laws, regulations, and policies that create barriers to the tests that have been waived by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) and that are administered and interpreted by pharmacists.
4. APhA encourages use of educational programming and resources to facilitate practice implementation of pharmacist-provided point-of-care testing and related clinical services.
5. APhA supports patients taking active roles in the management of their health, including their ability to request and obtain pharmacist-provided point-of-care tests and related clinical services.
6. APhA advocates for access to, coverage of, and payment for both pharmacist-provided point-of-care tests and any related clinical services.

1. APhA recognizes the value of pharmacist-provided point-of-care testing and related clinical services and promotes the provision of those tests and services in accordance with the Joint Commission of Pharmacy Practitioners Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process.
2. APhA advocates for laws, regulations, and policies that enable pharmacist-provided point-of-care testing and related clinical services that are consistent with the pharmacists’ role in team-based care.
3. APhA opposes laws, regulations, and policies that create barriers to the tests that have been waived by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) and that are administered and interpreted by pharmacists.
4. APhA encourages use of educational programming and resources to facilitate practice implementation of pharmacist-provided point-of-care testing and related clinical services.
5. APhA supports patients taking active roles in the management of their health, including their ability to request and obtain pharmacist-provided point-of-care tests and related clinical services.
6. APhA advocates for access to, coverage of, and payment for both pharmacist-provided point-of-care tests and any related clinical services.

1. APhA recognizes the value of pharmacist-provided point-of-care testing and related clinical services and promotes the provision of those tests and services in accordance with the Joint Commission of Pharmacy Practitioners Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process.
2. APhA advocates for laws, regulations, and policies that enable pharmacist-provided point-of-care testing and related clinical services that are consistent with the pharmacists’ role in team-based care.
3. APhA opposes laws, regulations, and policies that create barriers to the tests that have been waived by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) and that are administered and interpreted by pharmacists.
4. APhA encourages use of educational programming and resources to facilitate practice implementation of pharmacist-provided point-of-care testing and related clinical services.
5. APhA supports patients taking active roles in the management of their health, including their ability to request and obtain pharmacist-provided point-of-care tests and related clinical services.
6. APhA advocates for access to, coverage of, and payment for both pharmacist-provided point-of-care tests and any related clinical services.

1. APhA supports value-based payment models that include pharmacists as essential health care team members and that promote coordinated care, improved health outcomes, and lower total costs of health care.
2. APhA encourages the development and implementation of meaningful, consistent, process-based and outcomes-based quality measures that allow attribution of pharmacist impact within value-based payment models.
3. APhA advocates for mechanisms that recognize and compensate pharmacists for their contributions toward meeting goals of quality and total costs of care in value-based payment models, separate and distinct from the full product and dispensing cost reimbursement.
4. APhA advocates that pharmacists must have real-time access to and exchange of electronic health record data within value-based payment models in order to achieve optimal health and medication-related outcomes.
5. APhA supports education, training, and resources that help pharmacists transform and integrate their practices with value-based payment models and programs.

1. APhA recognizes the value of pharmacist-provided point-of-care testing and related clinical services and promotes the provision of those tests and services in accordance with the Joint Commission of Pharmacy Practitioners Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process.
2. APhA advocates for laws, regulations, and policies that enable pharmacist-provided point-of-care testing and related clinical services that are consistent with the pharmacists’ role in team-based care.
3. APhA opposes laws, regulations, and policies that create barriers to the tests that have been waived by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) and that are administered and interpreted by pharmacists.
4. APhA encourages use of educational programming and resources to facilitate practice implementation of pharmacist-provided point-of-care testing and related clinical services.
5. APhA supports patients taking active roles in the management of their health, including their ability to request and obtain pharmacist-provided point-of-care tests and related clinical services.
6. APhA advocates for access to, coverage of, and payment for both pharmacist-provided point-of-care tests and any related clinical services.

1. It is APhA’s position that patient safety initiatives must include pharmacists in leadership roles.
2. APhA encourages dissemination of best practices derived from nationally aggregated reporting data systems to pharmacists for the purpose of improving the medication use process and making informed decisions that directly impact patient safety and quality.
3. APhA encourages the profession of pharmacy to continually review and evaluate ways to enhance training, curricula, continuing education and accountability of pharmacists to improve patient safety.
4. APhA encourages risk management and post-marketing surveillance programs to be standardized and include infrastructures and compensation necessary to allow pharmacists to support these patient safety programs.
5. APhA supports the creation of voluntary, standardized and interoperable reporting systems for patient safety events to minimize barriers to pharmacist participation and to enable aggregation of data and improve quality of medication use systems. The system should be free, voluntary, non-punitive, easily accessible, and user friendly for all providers within the healthcare system.
6. APhA supports the elimination of hand-written prescriptions or medication orders.

1. It is APhA’s position that patient safety initiatives must include pharmacists in leadership roles.
2. APhA encourages dissemination of best practices derived from nationally aggregated reporting data systems to pharmacists for the purpose of improving the medication use process and making informed decisions that directly impact patient safety and quality.
3. APhA encourages the profession of pharmacy to continually review and evaluate ways to enhance training, curricula, continuing education and accountability of pharmacists to improve patient safety.
4. APhA encourages risk management and post-marketing surveillance programs to be standardized and include infrastructures and compensation necessary to allow pharmacists to support these patient safety programs.
5. APhA supports the creation of voluntary, standardized and interoperable reporting systems for patient safety events to minimize barriers to pharmacist participation and to enable aggregation of data and improve quality of medication use systems. The system should be free, voluntary, non-punitive, easily accessible, and user friendly for all providers within the healthcare system.
6. APhA supports the elimination of hand-written prescriptions or medication orders.

1. It is APhA’s position that patient safety initiatives must include pharmacists in leadership roles.
2. APhA encourages dissemination of best practices derived from nationally aggregated reporting data systems to pharmacists for the purpose of improving the medication use process and making informed decisions that directly impact patient safety and quality.
3. APhA encourages the profession of pharmacy to continually review and evaluate ways to enhance training, curricula, continuing education and accountability of pharmacists to improve patient safety.
4. APhA encourages risk management and post-marketing surveillance programs to be standardized and include infrastructures and compensation necessary to allow pharmacists to support these patient safety programs.
5. APhA supports the creation of voluntary, standardized and interoperable reporting systems for patient safety events to minimize barriers to pharmacist participation and to enable aggregation of data and improve quality of medication use systems. The system should be free, voluntary, non-punitive, easily accessible, and user friendly for all providers within the healthcare system.
6. APhA supports the elimination of hand-written prescriptions or medication orders.

1. It is APhA’s position that patient safety initiatives must include pharmacists in leadership roles.
2. APhA encourages dissemination of best practices derived from nationally aggregated reporting data systems to pharmacists for the purpose of improving the medication use process and making informed decisions that directly impact patient safety and quality.
3. APhA encourages the profession of pharmacy to continually review and evaluate ways to enhance training, curricula, continuing education and accountability of pharmacists to improve patient safety.
4. APhA encourages risk management and post-marketing surveillance programs to be standardized and include infrastructures and compensation necessary to allow pharmacists to support these patient safety programs.
5. APhA supports the creation of voluntary, standardized and interoperable reporting systems for patient safety events to minimize barriers to pharmacist participation and to enable aggregation of data and improve quality of medication use systems. The system should be free, voluntary, non-punitive, easily accessible, and user friendly for all providers within the healthcare system.
6. APhA supports the elimination of hand-written prescriptions or medication orders.

1. APhA supports value-based payment models that include pharmacists as essential health care team members and that promote coordinated care, improved health outcomes, and lower total costs of health care.
2. APhA encourages the development and implementation of meaningful, consistent, process-based and outcomes-based quality measures that allow attribution of pharmacist impact within value-based payment models.
3. APhA advocates for mechanisms that recognize and compensate pharmacists for their contributions toward meeting goals of quality and total costs of care in value-based payment models, separate and distinct from the full product and dispensing cost reimbursement.
4. APhA advocates that pharmacists must have real-time access to and exchange of electronic health record data within value-based payment models in order to achieve optimal health and medication-related outcomes.
5. APhA supports education, training, and resources that help pharmacists transform and integrate their practices with value-based payment models and programs.