Ethics

Code of Ethics for Pharmacists

Policy 9902

11/01/1999 Introduced
03/01/2004 Reapproved
12/01/2008 Reapproved
10/01/2012 Reapproved
10/18/2021 Revised

AMCP endorses the Code of Ethics for Pharmacists.

(See Code of Ethics for Pharmacists at https://aphanet.pharmacist.com/code-ethics)

AMCP supports a pharmacist's right to refuse to fill a prescription on the basis of the pharmacist's moral, religious, or ethical convictions.  While the pharmacist's right of conscientious objection must be respected, managed health care systems must ensure that procedures are established that protect the patient's right to obtain legally prescribed and medically necessary treatments consistent with the benefit coverage provided.

Clinical Investigations in Children

Policy 0003

02/01/2000 Introduced
02/01/2005 Reapproved
11/01/2009 Reapproved
02/01/2014 Revised
02/13/2019 Revised

AMCP supports the establishment by state boards of pharmacy of counseling, treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation programs for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and student pharmacists who are subject to physical or mental impairment due to the influence of drugs – including alcohol – or other causes, when such impairment has potential to adversely impact their abilities to function properly in a professional capacity.  AMCP supports the empowerment of state boards of pharmacy to use discretionary powers in determining employment waiver requests relating to the licensure of impaired pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

Fraud, Waste and Abuse in Prescription Drug Benefit

Policy 1105

10/01/2011 Introduced

Fraud

• AMCP supports efforts by both federal and state governments that enhance law enforcement’s ability to combat the actions of individuals who falsify prescription information or providers who write prescriptions for patients who intend to abuse the drugs.
• AMCP supports efforts to encourage the adoption of electronic prescribing systems, which could reduce the incidence of fraud at the pharmacy point-of-sale.
• AMCP is opposed to requirements that managed care organizations contract with any pharmacy willing to meet the terms and conditions of an organization’s contract, also known as “any willing provider” requirements. Without such requirements, a managed care organization may refuse to contract with a pharmacy that is suspected of fraudulent activity, such as a pharmacy that files claims and receives payments for prescriptions that are never filled.

Waste

• AMCP supports exemptions from these laws that would allow a health plan or PBM to suspend payment when there is credible evidence of fraud.
• AMCP supports efforts to make generic substitution an easy process for pharmacists and prescribers.
• AMCP opposes regulations that would unnecessarily place a burden on either party in order to make a substitution.
• AMCP supports allowing managed care organizations the flexibility to design pharmacy benefits that encourage the use of therapeutic treatment options that are most appropriate in terms of both patient outcomes and costs to both the patient and payer.

Abuse

• AMCP supports measures to prevent abuse of prescription drugs as well as prescription drug benefit plans.
• AMCP supports programs that gather dispensing information about controlled substances so that the pharmacist has a resource for checking “pharmacy and doctor shopping” patterns.
• AMCP supports sensible changes to current law that would allow Part D plan sponsors to help combat the problem of prescription drug abuse.

(See AMCP Managed Care Pharmacy Practice Positions - Fraud, Waste and Abuse in Prescription Drug Benefits)