APhA Policy Manual

1. APhA supports the use of consumer-facing wearable health technologies and devices that are safe, effective, and appropriate for health and wellness.
2. APhA advocates for research to drive evidence-based uses and payer policies for wearable health technologies and devices in patient care.
3. APhA supports the pharmacists' role in interpreting data, and counseling patients on information derived from wearable health technology and devices.
4. APhA encourages private and public entities to develop and implement standards for how patient health and wellness information is created, received, maintained, and transmitted by non-HIPAA covered entities and business associates.

1. APhA supports the establishment of secure, portable, and interoperable electronic patient health care records.
2. APhA supports the engagement of pharmacists with other relevant communities in the development and implementation of multidirectional electronic communication systems to improve patient safety, enhance quality care, facilitate care transitions, increase efficiency, and reduce waste.
3. APhA advocates for the inclusion of pharmacists in the establishment and enhancement of electronic health care information technologies and systems that must be interoperable, HIPAA compliant, integrated with claims processing, updated in a timely fashion, allow for data analysis, and do not place disproportionate financial burden on any one health care provider or relevant party.
4. APhA advocates for pharmacists and other health care providers to have access to view, download and transmit electronic health records. Information shared among providers using a health information exchange should utilize a standardized secure interface based on recognized international health record standards for the transmission of health information.
5. APhA supports the integration of federal, state, and territory health information exchanges into an accessible, standardized, nationwide system.
6. APhA opposes business practices and policies that obstruct the electronic access and exchange of patient health information because these practices compromise patient safety and the provision of optimal patient care.
7. APhA advocates for the development of systems that facilitate and support electronic communication between pharmacists and prescribers concerning patient adherence, medication discontinuation, and other clinical factors that support quality care transitions.
8. APhA supports the development of education and training programs for pharmacists, student pharmacists, and other health care professionals on the appropriate use of electronic health records to reduce errors and improve the quality and safety of patient care.
9. APhA supports the creation and non-punitive application of a standardized, interoperable system for voluntary reporting of errors associated with the use of electronic health care information technologies and systems to enable aggregation of protected data and develop recommendations for improved quality.

1. APhA supports patient utilization of personal health records, defined as records of health-related information managed, shared, and controlled by the individual, to facilitate self-management and communication across the continuum of care.
2. APhA urges both public and private entities to identify and include pharmacists and other communities of interest in the development of personal health record systems and the adoption of standards, including but not limited to terminology, security, documentation, and coding of data contained within personal health records.
3. APhA supports the development, implementation, and maintenance of personal health record systems that are accessible and searchable by pharmacists and other health care providers, interoperable and portable across health information systems, customizable to the needs of the patient, and able to differentiate information provided by a health care provider and the patient.
4. APhA supports pharmacists taking the leadership role in educating the public about the importance of maintaining current and accurate medication-related information within personal health records.

1. APhA opposes the replacement of a pharmacist’s professional judgment or patient’s access to their pharmacist with artificial intelligence.
2. APhA calls on the profession of pharmacy and all related organizations to proactively assess and respond to the evolving role of artificial intelligence in pharmacy practice and workforce dynamics.
3. APhA encourages judicious use of artificial intelligence by pharmacists and pharmacy personnel as a tool to elevate pharmacy practice and enhance patient care.
4. APhA advocates for the integration of pharmacists into the development, design, validation, implementation, and maintenance of artificial intelligence solutions.
5. APhA calls on regulatory bodies, employers, and other relevant parties to develop laws, regulations, and policies as applicable for artificial intelligence to ensure patient safety, privacy, public awareness, and public protection.
6. APhA calls on those providing artificial intelligence solutions to implement processes that identify and mitigate bias and misinformation in artificial intelligence.
7. APhA advocates for education providers to facilitate, and pharmacy personnel to seek out, education and training on the lawful, ethical, and clinical use of artificial intelligence.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.

1. APhA advocates for implementation and maintenance of cybersecurity systems, safeguards, and response mechanisms to mitigate risk and minimize harm or disruption for all pharmacies and related parties who manage or access electronic health and business information.
2. APhA advocates for all pharmacies and related business entities responsible for electronic health and business information to have cyber liability insurance or an equivalent self-funded plan to protect all relevant parties in the event of a cyberattack and data breach.
3. APhA advocates for education providers to facilitate, and pharmacy personnel to seek out, education and training on cybersecurity laws, regulations, and best practices.

1. APhA supports the standardization of user interfaces to improve quality and reduce errors unique to e-prescribing.
2. APhA supports reporting mechanisms and research efforts to evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and quality of e-prescribing systems, computerized prescriber order entry (CPOE) systems, and the e-prescriptions that they produce, in order to improve health information technology systems and, ultimately, patient care.
3. APhA supports the development of financial incentives for pharmacists and prescribers to provide high quality e-prescribing activities.
4. APhA supports the inclusion of pharmacists in quality improvement and meaningful use activities related to the use of e-prescribing and other health information technology that would positively impact patient health outcomes.
5. APhA supports laws, regulations, and policies that require e-prescribing of controlled substances to reduce fraudulent prescriptions.

1. APhA advocates for nationwide integration and uniformity of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP) that incorporate federal, state, and territory databases for the purpose of providing health care professionals with accurate and real-time information to assist in clinical decision making when providing patient care services related to controlled substances.
2. APhA supports pharmacist involvement in the development of uniform standards for an integrated nationwide prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) that includes the definition of authorized registered users, documentation, reporting requirements, system response time, security of information, minimum reporting data sets, and standard transaction format.
3. APhA supports mandatory prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) enrollment by all health care providers, mandatory reporting by all those who dispense controlled substances, and appropriate system query by registrants during the patient care process related to controlled substances.
4. APhA advocates for the development of seamless workflow integration systems that would enable consistent use of a nationwide prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) by registrants to facilitate prospective drug review as part of the patient care process related to controlled substances.
5. APhA advocates for continuous, sustainable federal funding sources for practitioners and system operators to utilize and maintain a standardized integrated and real-time nationwide prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP).
6. APhA supports the use of interprofessional advisory boards that include pharmacists to coordinate collaborative efforts for (a) compiling, analyzing, and using prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) data trends to identify misuse of controlled substances and/or fraud; (b) providing focused provider education and patient referral to treatment programs; and (c) supporting research activities on the impact of PDMPs.
7. APhA supports education and training for registrants about a nationwide prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) to ensure proper data integrity, use, and confidentiality.

APhA supports laws, regulations, and policies that would allow pharmacies to transfer prescriptions for controlled substances for the purposes of an initial fill.

1. APhA supports mandatory requirements for ALL immunization providers to report pertinent immunization data into Immunization Information Systems (IIS).
2. APhA calls for government entities to fund enrollment and engagement of all immunization providers in Immunization Information Systems (IIS). This engagement should support lifetime tracking of immunizations for patients.
3. APhA calls for a National Immunization Information System (IIS) to receive and report vaccination data from all registries for the purpose of providing health care professionals, patients, and their caregivers with accurate and timely information to assist in clinical decision-making.
4. APhA advocates that all appropriate health care personnel involved in the patient care process have timely access to Immunization Information Systems (IIS) and other pertinent data sources to support proactive patient assessment and delivery of immunization services while maintaining confidentiality.
5. APhA urges pharmacy management system vendors to include functionality that uses established and adopted electronic health record standards for the bidirectional exchange of data with Immunization Information Systems (IIS).

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 emphasizes genomics as an essential aspect of pharmacy practice.
2. APhA recognizes pharmacists as the health care professional best suited to provide medication-related consults and services based on a patient’s genomic information. All pharmacists involved in the care of the patient should have access to relevant genomic information.
3. APhA supports processes to protect patient data confidentiality and opposes unethical utilization of genomic data.
4. APhA demands payers include pharmacists as eligible providers for covered genomic interpretation and related services to support sustainable models that optimize patient care and outcomes.
5. APhA urges pharmacy management system vendors to include functionality that uses established and adopted electronic health record standards for the exchange, storage, utilization, and documentation of clinically actionable genetic variations and actions taken by the pharmacist in the provision of patient care.
6. APhA recommends pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists lead the collaborative development of evidence-based practice guidelines for pharmacogenomics and related services.
7. APhA recommends the inclusion of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists in the collaborative development of pharmacogenomics clinical support tools and resources.
8. APhA encourages pharmacists to use their professional judgment and published guidelines and resources when providing access to testing or utilizing direct-to-consumer genomic test results in their patient care services.
9. APhA urges schools and colleges of pharmacy to include clinical application of genomics as a required element of the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum.
10. APhA encourages the creation of continuing professional development and post-graduate education and training programs for pharmacists in genomics and its clinical application to meet varying practice needs.
11. APhA encourages the funding of pharmacist-led research examining the cost effectiveness of care models that utilize pharmacists providing genomic services.

1. APhA supports the use of automation and technology in pharmacy practice, with pharmacists maintaining oversight of these systems.
2. APhA recommends that pharmacists and other pharmacy personnel implement policies and procedures addressing the use of technology and automation to ensure safety, accuracy, security, data integrity, and patient confidentiality.
3. APhA supports initial and ongoing system-specific education and training of all affected personnel when automation and technology are utilized in the workplace.
4. APhA shall work with all relevant parties to facilitate the appropriate use of automation and technology in pharmacy practice.

APhA supports the use of automation for prescription preparation and supports technical and personnel assistance for performing administrative duties and facilitating pharmacists’ provision of pharmaceutical care.