APhA Policy Manual

1. APhA supports structural, financial, and operational safeguards to address conflicts of interest between pharmacy benefit managers, insurers, and affiliated entities in the pharmaceutical supply chain.
2. APhA supports policies that prohibit pharmacy benefit managers, insurers, and affiliated entities in the pharmaceutical supply chain from using ownership relationships to engage in patient steering, self-preferencing, discriminatory reimbursement, anticompetitive network design, or other practices that restrict patient choice, undermine pharmacy access, increase patient and total cost of care, or restrict access to clinically appropriate medications.
3. APhA supports enforceable structural remedies when vertically integrated ownership arrangements create conflicts of interest that harm patients, pharmacies, competition, or the delivery of clinically appropriate care.
4. APhA supports state and federal oversight, transparency, and enforcement authority to prevent anticompetitive and discriminatory business practices by vertically integrated pharmacy benefit managers, insurers, and affiliated entities.
5. APhA supports preserving integrated care models that demonstrably improve patient care, access, affordability, and care coordination, provided they do not restrict patient choice, disadvantage competing pharmacies, or create unfair market conditions.

1. APhA supports the role of pharmacy personnel in antimicrobial stewardship in all practice settings.
2. APhA supports pharmacy personnel working in collaboration with others to lead the development and implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs and initiatives.
3. APhA supports pharmacists advising prescribers and educating patients on the appropriate use of antimicrobials.

1. Pharmacists are health care providers who must be recognized and compensated by payers for their professional services under medical benefit payment structures.
2. APhA supports integration pharmacists' provision of health care services into existing standardized processes under the medical benefit.
3. APhA affirms that pharmacists’ must be compensated for their services consistent with the processes of, and in parity with, other health care providers.
4. APhA advocates for the development and implementation of a standardized credentialing process for compensation of pharmacist services.
5. APhA advocates for pharmacists’ access and contribution to clinical and claims data to support treatment, payment, and health care operations.
6. APhA supports the integration of pharmacists’ service level and outcome data with other health care provider and claims data.
7. APhA advocates for the in-network inclusion of pharmacists under medical benefits to increase access to health care services.
8. APhA opposes policies or practices that prevent or undermine billing for pharmacist-provided services under the medical benefit by any health plan, payer, pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), or other entity.

1. APhA supports the systematic transition from Cockcroft-Gault estimated creatinine clearance to race-free estimated glomerular filtration rate adjusted for body surface area (eGFRBSAadj) as the preferred kidney function measure to inform medication-related decision making in adults.
2. APhA advocates for race-free eGFRBSAadj as the preferred standard for medication-related decision making for adults in PharmD curricula and licensing/board certification examinations.
3. APhA encourages expanded research evaluating race-free eGFRBSAadj use in medication-related decision making in adults using measured GFR, drug concentrations, or pharmacokinetic modeling as a comparator, especially for subgroups of adults usually underrepresented in clinical trials.

1. APhA advocates for laws, regulations, and policies that establish reasonable out-of-pocket patient costs for evidence-based, guideline-recommended, or standard of care therapies to enhance affordability and ensure access to appropriate treatments from a patient’s preferred pharmacy.
2. APhA advocates for laws, regulations, and policies that allow for sustained access to evidence-based, guideline-recommended, or standard of care therapies after a patient has met treatment goals.

1. APhA encourages pharmacy personnel to take an active role in achieving the goals of the Healthy People program regarding immunizations through (a) advocacy; (b) contracting with other health care professionals; or (c) administering vaccines to patients facing barriers to health.
2. APhA encourages the availability of all vaccines to all pharmacies in order to meet public health needs.
3. APhA supports the compensation of pharmacy personnel for the administration of immunizations and the reimbursement for vaccine distribution.
4. APhA should facilitate the development of programs that educate pharmacy personnel about their role in immunizations in public health.

1. APhA supports pharmacy personnel leading the process of assessing and improving patient medication adherence in collaboration with the health care team.
2. APhA advocates for pharmacy personnel taking leadership roles in working with administrators, health care professionals, payers, patients and other stakeholders to design processes, systems, and technology that promote interoperability and care coordination across settings to improve medication adherence.
3. APhA advocates for the profession of pharmacy to continually study, evaluate, and disseminate evidence-based methods to improve medication adherence.
4. APhA advocates for raising awareness about the issue of medication non-adherence and the importance of engaging patients in their treatment.
5. APhA supports education of the public, employee benefit managers, third-party payers, and other health care decision makers regarding the value and cost-effectiveness of the role of the pharmacist in improving medication adherence.

1. APhA supports the integration of pharmacists as providers of primary care services to address acute health issues, improve management of chronic disease, coordinate care, and provide preventive care.
2. APhA advocates for government and private entities to add community pharmacy as a recognized place of service for the delivery of pharmacist-led primary care services
3. APhA calls for payment parity for primary care services provided by a pharmacist through the patients’ medical benefit.
4. APhA supports the application of the standard of care regulatory model to guide pharmacists’ delivery of primary care services.
5. APhA supports increasing public awareness of pharmacist-led primary care services.

The American Pharmacist Association (APhA) encourages collaboration with the American Public Health Association (APHA) and other public health organizations to increase pharmacists’ participation in initiatives designed to meet global, national, regional, state, local, and community health goals.

1. APhA affirms health equity as a core value of the profession of pharmacy and supports policies and practices that advance equitable access to care.
2. APhA commits to prioritizing the elimination of systemic barriers that prevent pharmacy personnel from performing their critical role in ensuring health equity.
3. APhA supports efforts to develop and empower pharmacy personnel as advocates for groups who are or have been marginalized and are facing health inequities.
4. APhA advocates for the inclusion of pharmacy professionals’ expertise in all efforts to ensure individuals and communities have equitable opportunities to attain their full potential for health and well-being.

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 any laws, regulations, and policies that restrict pharmacists’ ability to provide evidence-based health information.
2. APhA strongly opposes the elimination, manipulation, and suppression of public health information.
3. APhA supports laws, regulations, and policies that protect scientific integrity and ensure transparency in the dissemination of factual, evidence-based public health information.
4. APhA supports the development of federal protections against censorship of evidence-based public health information.

1. APhA affirms pharmacy personnel’s role in screening and referral for individuals experiencing intimate partner violence.
2. APhA supports the development of training programs and tools to aid pharmacy personnel in screening for intimate partner violence.

1. APhA supports equitable patient access to evidence-based comprehensive reproductive health care, including, but not limited to, the management of pregnancy loss, ectopic pregnancy, infertility, pregnancy termination, contraception, and permanent contraception.
2. APhA recognizes patient autonomy in choosing reproductive health care services and the essential role of all health care professionals in facilitating access and advancing informed decision making.
3. APhA supports evidence-based laws, regulations, and policies that ensure patient access to comprehensive reproductive health care services.
4. APhA opposes legal actions against pharmacies, pharmacists, and pharmacy personnel that provide patient access to, or information regarding, reproductive health care services that are within pharmacist scope of practice.

APhA advocates for laws, regulations, and policies that recognize access to quality and affordable essential medicines as a fundamental human right.

APhA advocates for policy and legislation laws, regulations, and policies that increase patient access to radiopharmaceuticals.

1. APhA encourages implementation of a standard pharmacy benefit card to improve the dispensing process and encourages the use of technology in this implementation.
2. APhA supports the use of technology to facilitate record-keeping of patient prescription information for third-party audit purposes and regulatory compliance.
3. APhA supports education of the public regarding the responsibility to be informed consumers of their pharmacy benefits provided through third-party plans.
4. APhA encourages third-party plans to provide pharmacies all information necessary for benefits administration in a timely organized manner or to provide access to the information through the Internet or similar technologies at no cost to the pharmacy.
5. APhA supports clear communication during the pharmacy claims adjudication process. APhA supports the communication of all plan management options available from the claims processor to the pharmacist.
6. APhA supports the development and use of systems to communicate in-pharmacy drug utilization review messages with online claims processing systems to eliminate redundant and/or repetitive messages.
7. APhA encourages the transmission of pre-adjudication drug utilization review messages (i.e., drug utilization review communication between the prescriber and claims processor) to the pharmacist.
8. APhA supports efforts to: (a) improve on-line drug utilization review messages by the establishment of evidence-based criteria to prevent drug-related conflicts that have the potential for causing serious harm; and (b) eliminate drug utilization review messages that have questionable or inconsequential impact on patient outcomes.

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 supports the establishment of collaborative practice agreements between pharmacists and other health care professionals designed to optimize patient care outcomes.
2. APhA supports the establishment of collaborative practice agreements between one or multiple pharmacists and one or multiple prescribers or entities.
3. APhA supports state laws, regulations, and policies that do not require a referral or a prior provider–patient relationship as a prerequisite to access services provided under a collaborative practice agreement.
4. APhA opposes state laws, regulations, and policies that limit collaborative practice agreements to specific patients.
5. APhA supports state laws, regulations, and policies that allow for pharmacists’ prescriptive authority.
6. APhA supports state collaborative practice laws, regulations, and policies that allow all licensed pharmacists, in all practice settings, to establish collaborative practice agreements with other health care professionals or entities.
7. APhA shall promote the establishment and dissemination of guidelines and information to pharmacists and other health care professionals to facilitate the development of collaborative practice agreements.

1. APhA advocates for the identification of medical conditions that may be safely and effectively treated by community-based pharmacists.
2. APhA encourages the training and education of pharmacists and student pharmacists regarding identification, treatment, monitoring, documentation, follow-up, and referral for medical conditions treated by community-based pharmacists
3. APhA advocates for laws, regulations, and policies that allow pharmacists to identify and manage medical conditions treated by community-based pharmacists.
4. APhA advocates for appropriate remuneration for the assessment and treatment of medical conditions treated by community-based pharmacists from government and private payers to ensure sustainability and access for patients.
5. APhA supports research to examine the outcomes of services that focus on medical conditions treated by community-based pharmacists.

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 supports education for pharmacists and student pharmacists to address issues of pain management, palliative care, appropriate use of opioid reversal agents in opioid-associated emergencies, drug diversion, and substance use disorders.
2. APhA supports recognition of pharmacists as the health care providers who must exercise professional judgment in the assessment of a patient’s conditions to fulfill corresponding responsibility for the use of controlled substances and other medications with the potential for misuse and/or diversion.
3. APhA supports pharmacists’ access to and use of prescription monitoring programs to identify and prevent drug misuse and/or diversion.
4. APhA supports the development and implementation of state and federal laws, regulations, and policies that permit pharmacists to independently prescribe opioid reversal agents to prevent deaths due to opioid-associated emergencies.
5. APhA supports the pharmacist's role in selecting appropriate therapy and dosing and initiating and providing education about the proper use of opioid reversal agents to prevent deaths due to opioid-associated emergencies.

1. APhA supports the immediate reporting by manufacturers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of disruptions that may impact the market supply of medically necessary drug products to prevent, mitigate, or resolve drug shortage issues and supports the authority for FDA to impose penalties for failing to report.
2. APhA supports revising current laws, regulations, and policies that restrict the FDA’s ability to provide timely communication to pharmacists, other health care providers, health systems, and professional associations regarding potential or real drug shortages.
3. APhA encourages the FDA, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other stakeholders to collaborate in order to minimize barriers (e.g., aggregate production quotas, annual assessment of needs, unapproved drug initiatives) that contribute to or exacerbate drug shortages.
4. APhA should actively support legislation to hasten the development of an efficient regulatory process to approve therapeutically equivalent generic versions of biologic drug products.
5. APhA encourages pharmacists and other health care providers to assist in maintaining continuity of care during drug shortage situations by (a) creating a practice site drug shortage plan as well as policies and procedures; (b) using reputable drug shortage management and information resources in decision making; (c) communicating with patients and coordinating with other health care providers; (d) avoiding excessive ordering and stockpiling of drugs; (e) acquiring drugs from reputable distributors; and (f) heightening their awareness of the potential for counterfeit or adulterated drugs entering the drug distribution system.
6. APhA encourages accrediting and regulatory agencies and the pharmaceutical science and manufacturing communities to evaluate policies/procedures related to the establishment and use of drug expiration dates and any impact those policies/procedures may have on drug shortages.
7. APhA encourages the active investigation and appropriate prosecution of entities that engage in price gouging and profiteering of medically necessary drug products in response to drug shortages.

1. APhA supports drug usage evaluation (DUE) as one element of a quality assurance program for medication use.
2. APhA advocates that DUE must address enhancement of the quality of care as well as the control of costs.
3. APhA advocates pharmacists’ participation along with other health care providers and patients or caregivers in the development, implementation, and administration of DUE programs.
4. APhA encourages further development of data collection systems to improve the extent and accuracy of DUE programs.
5. APhA maintains that the primary emphasis of DUE intervention should be educational with the goal of positive behavior modification.

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 encourages all stakeholders to develop and adopt evidence-based approaches to educate the public and all health care professionals to reduce the stigma associated with mental health diagnoses.
2. APhA supports the increased utilization of pharmacists and student pharmacists with appropriate training to actively participate in the care of patients with mental health conditions as members of interprofessional health care teams in all practice settings.
3. APhA supports the expansion of mental health education and training in the curriculum of all schools and colleges of pharmacy, postgraduate training, and within continuing professional development programs.
4. APhA supports the development of education and resources to address health care professional resiliency and burnout.

1. APhA recommends that health plans and payers contract with and appropriately compensate individual pharmacist providers for the level of care rendered without requiring the pharmacist to be associated with a pharmacy.
2. APhA supports adoption of laws, regulations, and policies pertaining to the independent practice of pharmacists when those laws, regulations, and policies and rules are consistent with APhA policy.
3. APhA, recognizing the positive impact that pharmacists can have in meeting unmet needs and managing medical conditions, supports the adoption of laws, regulations, and policies and the creation of payment mechanisms for appropriately trained pharmacists to autonomously provide patient care services, including prescribing, as part of the health care team.

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.

1. APhA calls for employers to adopt and implement just culture principles to improve patient safety and support pharmacy personnel.
2. APhA encourages transparency between employers and employees by sharing deidentified medication error and near-miss data and trends as well as actions taken to promote continuous quality improvement.
3. APhA urges the integration of non-disciplinary and non-punitive mechanisms for use by boards of pharmacy to promote just culture principles when addressing people, systems, and processes involved in medication errors.
4. APhA encourages national and state associations to advocate for laws, regulations, and policies to provide protections to individuals utilizing error reporting systems to promote just culture.
5. APhA encourages the creation of a mechanism for an industrywide effort to engage in confidential and transparent sharing of learnings and root cause findings helpful in reducing the risk of medication errors.
6. APhA supports the integration of just culture principles in PharmD and pharmacy technician education, postgraduate training, and continuing professional development programs.

1. APhA encourages pharmacist involvement in the planning and coordination of medication take-back programs for the purpose of disposal.
2. APhA supports increasing public awareness regarding medication take-back programs for the purpose of disposal.
3. APhA urges public and private stakeholders, including local, state, and federal agencies, to coordinate and create uniform, standardized laws, regulations and policies, including issues related to liability and sustainable funding sources, for the proper and safe disposal of unused medications.
4. APhA recommends ongoing medication take-back and disposal programs.

1. APhA affirms that pharmacists are trained to provide patient care and have the ability to address patient needs, regardless of geographic location.
2. APhA advocates for the continued development of uniform laws, regulations, and policies that facilitate pharmacists,' student pharmacists,' and pharmacy technicians’ timely ability to practice in multiple states to meet practice and patient care needs.
3. APhA supports individual pharmacists’ and student pharmacists’ authority to provide patient care services across state lines whether in person or remotely.
4. APhA supports consistent and efficient centralized processes across all states for obtaining and maintaining pharmacist, pharmacy intern, and pharmacy technician licensure and/or registration.
5. APhA urges state boards of pharmacy to reduce administratively and financially burdensome requirements for licensure while continuing to uphold patient safety.
6. APhA encourages the evaluation of current law exam requirements for obtaining and maintaining initial state licensure, as well as licensure in additional states, to enhance uniformity and reduce duplicative requirements.
7. APhA urges state boards of pharmacy and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) to involve a member of the board of pharmacy and a practicing pharmacist in the review and updating of state jurisprudence licensing exam questions.
8. APhA calls for development of profession-wide consensus on licensing requirements for pharmacists and pharmacy personnel to support contemporary pharmacy practice.

1. APhA opposes drug manufacturers' refusal to supply certain drugs to correctional health services units necessary to provide medical treatment of those who are incarcerated.
2. APhA advocates for those who are incarcerated to have an opportunity, equal to that of nonmates, to access medications that correctional healthcare providers deem medically necessary for appropriate and humane health care treatment.
3. APhA advocates for correctional healthcare providers to have opportunity, equal to that of non-correctional healthcare providers, to access, prescribe, and procure pharmaceuticals deemed necessary for medical treatment of those incarcerated.

1. APhA calls for education and collaboration among health professional organizations, federal agencies, and other stakeholders to ensure that all manufacturer, distributor, and repackaged marketed prescription drugs used in patient care have been FDA-approved as safe and effective.
2. APhA supports initiatives aimed at closing legislative, regulatory, policy and distribution-system loopholes that facilitate market entry of new prescription drugs products without FDA approval.
3. APhA encourages health professionals to consider FDA approval status of prescription drug products when making decisions about prescribing, dispensing, substitution, purchasing, formulary development, and in the development of pharmacy/medical education programs and drug information compendia.

1. APhA encourages state legislatures and boards of pharmacy to revise laws, regulations, and policies to support the patient-centered care of people who use non-medically sanctioned psychotropic or psychoactive substances.
2. To reduce the consequences of stigma associated with drug use, APhA supports the expansion of interprofessional harm reduction education in the curriculum of schools and colleges of pharmacy, postgraduate training, and continuing professional development programs.
3. APhA encourages pharmacists to initiate, sustain, and integrate evidence-based harm reduction principles and programs into their practice to optimize the health of people who use non-medically sanctioned psychotropic or psychoactive substances.
4. APhA supports pharmacists’ roles to provide and promote consistent, unrestricted, and immediate access to evidence-based, mortality- and morbidity-reducing interventions to enhance the health of people who inject nonmedically sanctioned psychotropic or psychoactive substances and their communities, including sterile syringes, needles, and other safe injection equipment, syringe disposal, fentanyl test strips, immunizations, condoms, wound care supplies, pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis medications for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), point-of-care testing for HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV), opioid reversal agents, and medications for opioid use disorder.
5. APhA urges pharmacists to refer people who use nonmedically sanctioned psychotropic or psychoactive substances to specialists in mental health, infectious diseases, and substance use disorder treatment; to housing, vocational, harm reduction, and recovery support services; and to safe consumption facilities and syringe service programs.

1. APhA affirms that pharmacists play a vital role in improving outcomes in patients with or at risk of sexually transmitted infections.
2. APhA supports the pharmacist's role in the development of education and resources for individuals with Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT), Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) in order to increase awareness and access.
3. APhA advocates for revision of state practice acts to permit pharmacists to independently prescribe for individuals with Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT), Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) therapy.

1. APhA supports pharmacists, as licensed health care professionals, in their use of professional judgment throughout the course of their practice to act in the best interest of patients.
2. APhA asserts that a pharmacist's independent medication review and use of professional judgment in the medication distribution process is essential to patient safety.
3. APhA opposes laws, regulations, and policies that limit a pharmacist’s responsibility to exercise professional judgment in the best interest of patients.
4. APhA calls for civil, criminal, and professional liability protections for pharmacists and pharmacies if the pharmacist’s responsibility to use professional judgment is limited by laws, regulations, and policies.

1. APhA supports the expansion and increased sources of funding for pharmacies and pharmacist-provided care services that serve the needs of underserved populations to provide better health outcomes and lower healthcare costs.
2. APhA supports charitable pharmacies and pharmacy services that ensure the quality, safety, drug storage, and integrity of the drug product and supply chain, in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies.

1. APhA, in cooperation with other national pharmacy organizations, shall take a leadership role in the establishment and maintenance of standards of practice for existing and emerging areas in the profession of pharmacy.
2. APhA encourages a cooperative process in the development, enforcement, and review of laws, regulations, and policies by agencies that affect any aspect of pharmacy practice, and this process must utilize the expertise of affected pharmacist specialists and their organizations.
3. APhA supports the right of pharmacists to exercise professional judgment in the implementation of standards of practice in their practice settings.

1. APhA supports the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) efforts to revise the drug and medical device classification paradigms for prescription and nonprescription medications and medical devices to allow greater access to certain medications and medical devices under conditions of safe use while maintaining patients' relationships with their pharmacists and other health care providers.
2. APhA supports the implementation or modification of state laws, regulations, and policies to facilitate pharmacists’ implementation and provision of services related to a revised drug and medical device classification system.
3. APhA supports a patient care delivery model built on coordination and communication between pharmacists and other health care team members in the evaluation and management of care delivery.
4. APhA affirms that pharmacists are qualified to provide clinical interventions on medications and medical devices under FDA’s approved conditions of safe use.
5. APhA urges manufacturers, FDA, and other stakeholders to include pharmacists’ input in the development and adoption of technology and standardized processes for services related to medications and medical devices under FDA’s defined conditions of safe use.
6. APhA supports the utilization of best practices, treatment algorithms, and clinical judgment of pharmacists and other health care providers to guide the evaluation and management of care delivery related to medications and medical devices under FDA’s approved conditions of safe use.
7. APhA encourages the inclusion of medications, medical devices, and their associated services provided under FDA’s defined conditions of safe use within health benefit coverage.
8. APhA supports compensation of pharmacists and other health care professionals for the provision of services related to FDA’s defined conditions of safe use programs.

1. APhA supports legal, regulatory, and policy changes to further facilitate clinical research related to the clinical efficacy and safety associated with the use of cannabis and its various components.
2. APhA encourages health care provider education related to the clinical efficacy, safety, and management of patients using cannabis and its various components.
3. APhA advocates that the pharmacist collect and document information in the pharmacy patient profile about patient use of cannabis and its various components and provide appropriate patient counseling.
4. APhA supports pharmacist participation in independently prescribing cannabis and its various components when scientific data support the legitimate medical use of the products and delivery mechanisms, and federal, state, or territory laws or regulations permit pharmacists to independently prescribe them.
5. APhA opposes pharmacist involvement in independently prescribing cannabis and its various components for recreational use.

1. APhA opposes the sale of e-cigarettes and other vaporized nicotine products in pharmacies until such time that scientific data support the health and environmental safety of these products.
2. APhA opposes the use of e-cigarettes and other vaporized nicotine products in areas subject to current clean air laws, regulations, and policies for combustible tobacco products until such time that scientific data support the health and environmental safety of these products.
3. APhA urges pharmacists to become more knowledgeable about e-cigarettes and other vaporized nicotine products.

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 the enactment of laws, regulations, and policies to end discriminatory practices that limit access to care for persons who are transgender or gender-diverse.
2. APhA encourages equity in care for persons who are transgender or gender-diverse through: (a) Continuing education on the pharmacist’s role in transgender care, gender-affirming therapy, and health disparities in patients who are transgender or gender-diverse. (b) Systematic integration and utilization of affirmed name and pronouns, gender identity, and anatomical inventory. (c) Availability and implementation of education and resources related to gender-diverse care for all persons employed in health care settings.

APhA affirms that discrimination and stigma should not impact a patient’s ability to obtain medications.

APhA supports expanding access to medications indicated for opioid use disorders (MOUDs) and other substance use disorders, including but not limited to pharmacist-administered injection services for treatment and maintenance of substance use disorders that are based on a valid prescription.

1. APhA recognizes geographic proximity and transportation to pharmacies as key determinants in equitable access to medications, vaccines, and patient care services.
2. APhA calls for laws, regulations, and policies that reduce pharmacy shortage areas and ensure equitable access to essential services.
3. APhA supports the development of financial incentives to establish physical pharmacy locations in pharmacy shortage areas and to prevent the closure of pharmacies in underserved areas.

1. APhA calls for the elimination of payer-driven medication administration policies and provisions that restrict access points, interfere with shared provider–patient decision-making, cause delays in care, or otherwise adversely impact the patient.
2. APhA asserts that care coordination services associated with provider-administered medications are essential to safe and effective medication use and calls for the development of broadly applicable compensation mechanisms for these essential services.

1. APhA calls for employers to provide fair, realistic, and equitable workplace conditions for pharmacy personnel that promote a safe, healthy, and sustainable working environment.
2. APhA urges all entities that impact pharmacy personnel workplace conditions to adopt the Pharmacists Fundamental Responsibilities and Rights.
3. APhA urges employers to develop and empower pharmacy personnel to use flexible practice management models based on available staffing, expertise, and resources that balance workloads to minimize distractions.
4. APhA advocates for employers to provide workplace onboarding and training for pharmacy personnel to optimize employee performance and satisfaction.
5. APhA encourages pharmacy personnel, starting with leaders, to model and facilitate individualized healthy working behaviors that improve well-being and to encourage and empower colleagues to do the same.
6. APhA opposes the sole use of productivity and fiscal measures for employee performance evaluations.
7. APhA calls for employers and employees to collaborate in the development and use of behavioral performance competencies in performance evaluations.

1. APhA encourages the development and use of a system for billing of medication therapy management (MTM) services that: (a) includes a standardized data set for transmission of billing claims, (b) utilizes a standardized process that is consistent with claim billing by other health care providers, and (c) utilizes a billing platform that is accepted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and is compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
2. APhA supports the pharmacist’s or pharmacy’s choice of a documentation system that allows for transmission of any MTM billing claim and interfaces with the billing platform used by the insurer or payer.
3. APhA encourages pharmacists to use the American Medical Association (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for billing of MTM services.
4. APhA supports efforts to further develop CPT codes for billing of pharmacists’ services, through the work of the Pharmacist Services Technical Advisory Coalition (PSTAC) and Pharmacy e-HIT Collaborative.

APhA urges pharmacists to use patient-specific data and social determinants of health to address health inequities and drive decisionmaking in practice and advocacy.

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 opposes mandated procurement strategies that restrict patients’ and providers’ ability to choose treatment options and that compromise patient safety and quality of care.
2. APhA calls for procurement strategies and care models that lower total costs, do not restrict or delay care, and ensure continuity of care.

1. APhA requests that state boards of pharmacy and legislative bodies regulate pharmacy practice using a standard of care regulatory model similar to other health professions’ regulatory models, thereby allowing pharmacists to practice at the level consistent with their individual education, training, experience, and practice setting.
2. To support implementation of a standard of care regulatory model, APhA reaffirms 2002 policy that encourages states to provide pharmacy boards with the following: (a) adequate resources; (b) independent authority, including autonomy from other agencies; and (c) assistance in meeting their mission to protect the public health and safety of consumers.
3. APhA encourages NABP as well as state and national pharmacy associations to support and collaborate with state boards of pharmacy in adopting and implementing a standard of care regulatory model.
4. APhA and other pharmacy stakeholders should provide educational programs, information, and resources regarding the standard of care regulatory model and its impact on pharmacy practice.

1. APhA encourages the use of social media in ways that advance patient care and uphold pharmacists as trusted and accessible health care providers.
2. APhA supports the use of social media as a mechanism for the delivery of patient-specific care in a platform that allows for appropriate patient and provider protections and access to necessary health care information.
3. APhA supports the inclusion of social media education, including but not limited to appropriate use and professionalism, as a component of pharmacy education and continuing professional development.
4. APhA affirms that the patient’s right to privacy and confidentiality shall not be compromised through the use of social media.
5. APhA urges pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and student pharmacists to self-monitor their social media presence for professionalism and that posted clinical information is accurate and appropriate.
6. APhA advocates for continued development and utilization of social media by pharmacists and other health care professionals during public health emergencies.

APhA calls for the adoption, by pharmacy organizations and regulatory and professional entities, of the expanded definition for patient to include human or non-human species.

APhA encourages the use of people first language in all written and oral forms of communication.

1. APhA supports the integration of social determinants of health screening as a vital component of pharmacy services.
2. APhA urges the integration of social determinants of health education within pharmacy curricula, postgraduate training, and continuing education requirements.
3. APhA supports incentivizing community engaged research, driven by meaningful partnerships and shared decisionmaking with community members.
4. APhA urges pharmacists to create opportunities for community engagement to best meet the needs of the patients they serve.
5. APhA encourages the integration of community health workers in pharmacy practice to provide culturally sensitive care, address health disparities, and promote health equity.

1. APhA affirms pharmacists’ professional accountability within their role in all practice settings.
2. APhA advocates that pharmacists be granted and accept authority, autonomy, and accountability for patient-centric actions to improve health and medication outcomes, in coordination with other health professionals, as appropriate.
3. APhA reaffirms 2017 Pharmacists’ Role Within Value-based Payment Models and supports continued expansion of interprofessional patient care models that leverage pharmacists as accountable members of the health care team.
4. APhA advocates for sustainable payment and attribution models to support pharmacists as accountable patient care providers.
5. APhA supports continued expansion of resources and health information infrastructures that empower pharmacists as accountable health care providers.
6. APhA supports the enhancement of comprehensive and affordable professional liability insurance coverage that aligns with evolving pharmacist accountability and responsibility.

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 advocates that health care mergers and acquisitions must preserve the pharmacist–patient relationship.
2. APhA supports optimizing the role of pharmacists in the provision of team-based care following health care mergers and acquisitions in order to: (a) enhance patient experience and safety; (b) improve population health; (c) reduce health care costs; and (d) improve the work life of health care providers.
3. APhA asserts that the scope of review by federal agencies must have a focus on the impact of health care mergers and acquisitions on patient access and the provision of care to ensure optimal patient outcomes. Therefore, APhA calls for (a) reform of the pre–health care mergers and acquisitions process; (b) implementation of an ongoing post–health care mergers and acquisitions evaluation process to preserve patient choice and access to established patient–pharmacist relationships, and (c) continuous transparent dialogue among stakeholders throughout the process.
4. APhA calls for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to develop a task force to monitor health care mergers and acquisitions activity.

1. APhA encourages all health care personnel to receive training and provide services to identify, assist, and refer people at risk for, or currently experiencing, a mental health crisis.
2. APhA encourages employers and policy makers to provide the support, resources, culture, and authority necessary for all pharmacy personnel to engage and assist individuals regarding mental health and emotional well-being.
3. APhA supports integration of a mental health assessment as a vital component of pharmacist-provided patient care services.

1. APhA supports the inclusion of pharmacogenomic analysis in the drug development/approval and postmarketing surveillance processes.

1. APhA supports referrals of patients to pharmacists, among pharmacists, or between pharmacists and other health care providers to promote optimal patient outcomes.
2. APhA supports referrals to and by pharmacists that ensure timely patient access to quality services and promote patient freedom of choice.
3. APhA advocates for pharmacists’ engagement in referral systems that are aligned with those of other health care providers and facilitate collaboration and information sharing to ensure continuity of care.
4. APhA supports attribution and equitable payment to pharmacists providing patient care services as a result of a referral.
5. APhA promotes the pharmacist’s professional responsibility to uphold ethical and legal standards of care in referral practices.
6. APhA reaffirms its support of development, adoption, and use of policies and procedures by pharmacists to manage potential conflicts of interest in practice, including in referral systems.

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 asserts that pharmacists’ patient care services and related prescribing by pharmacists help improve patient access to care, patient outcomes, and community health, and they align with coordinated, team-based care.
2. APhA supports increased patient access to care through pharmacist prescriptive authority models.
3. APhA opposes requirements and restrictions that impede patient access to pharmacist-prescribed medications and related services.
4. APhA urges prescribing pharmacists to coordinate care with patients’ other health care providers through appropriate documentation, communication, and referral.
5. APhA advocates that medications and services associated with prescribing by pharmacists must be covered and compensated in the same manner as for other prescribers.
6. APhA supports the right of patients to receive pharmacist-prescribed medications at the pharmacy of their choice.

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 supports performance networks that improve patient care and health outcomes, reduce costs, use pharmacists as an integral part of the health care team, and include evidence-based quality measures.
2. APhA urges collaboration between pharmacists and payers to develop distinct, transparent, fair, and equitable payment strategies for achieving performance measures associated with providing pharmacists’ patient care services that are separate from the reimbursement methods used for product fulfillment.
3. APhA advocates for prospective notification of evidence-based quality measures that will be used by a performance network to assess provider and practice performance. Furthermore, updates on provider and practice performance against these measures should be provided in a timely and regular manner.
4. APhA supports pharmacists’ professional autonomy to determine processes that improve performance on evidence-based quality measures.

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 supports changes to the Social Security Act to allow pharmacists to be recognized and paid as providers of patient care 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 that audits of health care practices, when used appropriately, may improve patient care and deter fraud, waste, and abuse.
2. APhA advocates for the use of standardized and efficient audit procedures with transparent criteria clearly communicated by the payor and readily accessible to providers in advance.
3. APhA advocates that audit processes should result in minimal disruption to practice workflow, minimal financial burden, and no impact on patient care.
4. APhA urges timely notification and scheduling of claims audits to minimize disruption of patient care delivery.
5. APhA supports the inclusion of education as a component of the audit process to improve documentation of services, meet payor requirements, and enhance the quality-of-care delivery.
6. APhA opposes incentive-based auditor compensation and the use of statistical methodologies, such as sample extrapolation, for determining the recoupment of funds from health care providers or health care organizations.
7. APhA advocates that audit reports include complete information listing audit discrepancies and appropriate guidelines for documenting and appealing these findings.
8. APhA advocates that pharmacy audits be performed in a professional manner by a pharmacist or certified pharmacy technician.

1. APhA supports pharmacists leading medication management activities during care transitions to ensure safe and effective medication use.
2. APhA supports the integral role of pharmacists during care transitions for improving quality of patient-centered care and reducing overall costs to the health care system.
3. APhA strongly encourages collaboration and shared accountability among patients, family members, caregivers, pharmacists, and other health care providers during care transitions.
4. APhA supports the development and utilization of standardized processes that facilitate real-time, bidirectional communication of protected health information during care transitions.
5. APhA supports that documentation of health outcomes is an essential component of any care transition program to demonstrate value and ensure continuous quality improvement.
6. APhA supports financially viable payment models that recognize the value of pharmacists’ services, including, but not limited to, those provided during care transitions.
7. APhA strongly urges the development and implementation of multidisciplinary, interprofessional, and team-based training for health care professionals and students to improve the quality and consistency of care transition services.
8. APhA urges the collaboration and partnership of community pharmacies with health care systems, institutions, and other entities involved in care transitions.

APhA advocates for the recognition and utilization of pharmacists as providers to address gaps in primary care.

1. APhA advocates direct involvement of pharmacists in the development, evaluation, and implementation of evidence-based clinical guidelines. Well-designed guidelines promote an interdisciplinary team approach to patient care that utilizes pharmacists' expertise in optimizing patient outcomes.
2. APhA believes that evidence-based clinical guidelines should promote optimal patient care built on the best available scientific data. These guidelines should be developed using an interdisciplinary approach and should be evaluated regularly to ensure that they reflect current practice standards.
3. APhA should promote educational programs, products, and services that facilitate the participation of pharmacists in the development, evaluation, and implementation of evidence-based practice guidelines in all practice settings.
4. APhA advocates the use by pharmacists, in all practice settings, of evidence-based practice guidelines for pharmaceutical care built on the best scientific data to optimize patient outcomes. These guidelines should be developed using an interdisciplinary approach and should be evaluated regularly to ensure that they reflect current practice standards.

1. APhA supports establishment of pharmacy practice-based research networks (PBRNs) to strengthen the evidence base in support of pharmacists’ patient care services.
2. APhA encourages collaborations among stakeholders to determine the minimal infrastructure and resources needed to develop and implement local, regional, and nationwide networks for performing pharmacy practice-based research.
3. APhA encourages pharmacy residency programs to actively participate in pharmacy practice-based research network (PBRNs).

APhA opposes the reuse of devices intended for “single use” in the screening and management of patients, consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines.

1. APhA encourages the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other regulatory agencies to recognize pharmacists as partners that are committed to ensuring that patients in legitimate need of controlled substances are able to receive the medications.
2. APhA supports efforts to modernize and harmonize state and federal controlled substance laws.
3. APhA urges DEA and other regulatory agencies to balance patient care and regulatory issues when developing, interpreting, and enforcing laws and regulations.
4. APhA encourages DEA and other regulatory agencies to recognize the changes occurring in health care delivery and to establish a transparent and inclusive process for the timely updating of laws and regulations.
5. APhA encourages the U.S. Department of Justice to collaborate with professional organizations to identify and reduce (a) the burdens on health care providers, (b) the cost of health care delivery, and (c) the barriers to patient care in the establishment and enforcement of controlled substance laws.

1. APhA affirms that pharmacists are the medication experts whose accessibility uniquely positions them to increase access to and improve quality of health care while decreasing overall costs.
2. APhA asserts that pharmacists must be recognized as the essential and accountable patient care provider on the health care team responsible for optimizing outcomes through medication therapy management (MTM).
3. APhA asserts the following: (a) Medication Therapy Management Services: Definition and Program Criteria is the standard definition of MTM that must be recognized by all stakeholders. (b) Medication Therapy Management in Pharmacy Practice: Core Elements of an MTM Service Model, as adopted by the profession of pharmacy, shall serve as the foundational MTM service model.
4. APhA asserts that pharmacists must be included as essential patient care provider and compensated as such in every health care model, including but not limited to, the medical home and accountable care organizations.
5. APhA actively promotes the outcomes-based studies, pilot programs, demonstration projects, and other activities that document and reconfirm pharmacists’ impact on patient health and well-being, process of care delivery, and overall health care costs.

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 that as health care professionals, pharmacists are expected to act in the best interest of patients when making clinical recommendations.
2. APhA supports pharmacists using evidence-based practices to guide decisions that lead to the delivery of optimal patient care.
3. APhA supports pharmacist development, adoption, and use of policies and procedures to manage potential conflicts of interest in practice.
4. APhA should develop core principles that guide pharmacists in developing and using policies and procedures for identifying and managing potential conflicts of interest.

1. APhA supports the delivery of informatics education within pharmacy schools and continuing education programs to improve patient care, understand interoperability among systems, understand where to find information, increase productivity, and improve the ability to measure and report the value of pharmacists in the health care system.
2. APhA urges that pharmacists have read/write access to electronic health record data for the purposes of improving patient care and medication use outcomes.
3. APhA encourages inclusion of pharmacists in the definition, development, and implementation of health information technologies for the purpose of improving the quality of patient-centric health care.
4. APhA urges public and private entities to include pharmacist representatives in the creation of standards, the certification of systems, and the integration of medication use systems with health information technology.

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 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).

APhA supports measures that protect the patient, public, and employees from pharmacy conditions that pose a threat to health.

1. As a matter of patient safety, APhA opposes the re-dispensing of a previously dispensed medication once it has been out of the control of a health care professional.
2. APhA supports a public awareness program to explain why the re-dispensing of a previously dispensed medication once it is out of the control of the healthcare professional is a public health safety concern.

1. APhA supports the pharmacist as the most appropriate member of the health care team responsible for reconciling medication use when patients move between practice settings within the continuum of care.
2. APhA supports the development and use, in practice, of a standardized, portable, accessible, HIPAA compliant, and secure electronic health record (EHR) to facilitate continuity of care across all practice settings. The EHR shall include the clinical data elements necessary to support the performance of medication reconciliation.
3. APhA supports patient access to pharmacists with specialized skills and expertise. The patient’s pharmacist should make patient referrals where appropriate.

1. APhA encourages companies that offer multi-component vehicles for compounding to list all ingredients and to restrict claims about the vehicles to the structure and function of the ingredients in those vehicles unless clinical evidence exists to support more specific claims.
2. When claims are made by companies for systemic delivery of active ingredients in multicomponent vehicles, APhA encourages pharmacists to secure bioavailability data in support of such claims.

APhA encourages development and maintenance of programs, tools, and data useful in assessing the cost effective nature and benefits of patient-oriented services within all areas of pharmacy practice.

APhA supports the profession of pharmacy having the primary responsibility to foster the development of an organized system for the accumulation and dissemination of drug information and knowledge.

APhA endorses adequate compensation for pharmacists by the patient, the government, and/or all other third-party programs for performing drug regimen review in all settings where drug therapy is used.

1. APhA recommends that all practitioners and wholesalers provide controlled, room temperature, storage conditions as defined in the official compendia to adequately store drug products.
2. APhA recommends that manufacturers adopt return goods policies that allow the return of drug products even if the expiration date has not yet occurred.
3. APhA shall continue to study the problem of drug storage at all levels of distribution including in transit, in the pharmacy, and in the home and provide guidance for the profession and public in these areas.

1. APhA supports the authority and responsibility of pharmacists in the management and control of all approved and investigational drug products.
2. APhA encourages corporate, government, and health-care organizations to recognize and utilize the unique expertise of the pharmacist in the management and control of all approved and investigational drug products.

1. APhA shall develop and maintain new methods and procedures whereby pharmacists can increase their ability and expand their opportunities to provide health care services.
2. APhA supports legislative and judicial action that confirms pharmacists’ professional rights to perform those functions consistent with APhA’s definition of pharmacy practice and that are necessary to fulfill pharmacists’ professional responsibilities to patients they serve.

APhA recognizes that it is a responsibility of the pharmacists to take an active role in the selection and use of diagnostic drugs as an integral component in the development and implementation of a patient’s therapeutic plan.

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.

APhA encourages patient and caregiver education by a pharmacist on the appropriate use of drug administration devices.

APhA supports use of the phrase “community pharmacy” rather than “retail pharmacy.”

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.

APhA encourages the development and use of responsible and effective design of pharmacy facilities to allow for convenient, comfortable, and private pharmacist-patient communications.

1. APhA supports programs to monitor the development of emerging technologies and their impact on the delivery of pharmaceutical care.
2. APhA supports education of pharmacists regarding emerging technology including their development and impact on the delivery of pharmaceutical care.
3. APhA supports the inclusion of pharmacists in the development and application of the emerging technologies in the delivery of pharmaceutical care.

APhA affirms that the mission of pharmacy is to serve society as the profession responsible for the appropriate use of medications, devices, and services to achieve optimal therapeutic outcomes.

1. APhA supports the utilization of technologies to enhance the pharmacist's ability to provide pharmaceutical care.
2. APhA believes that the use of technologies should not replace the pharmacist/patient relationship.
3. APhA emphasizes that maximizing patient benefit from technologies depends on the pharmacist/patient relationship.
4. APhA affirms that the utilization of technologies by pharmacists shall not compromise the patient's right to confidentiality.

APhA supports the rights and responsibilities of individual pharmacists to determine their inventory and dispensing practices based on patient need, practice economics, practice security, and professional judgment.