AMCP Joins National Leaders in Public Health in Defense of OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccine Rule

Alexandria, Va., Dec. 3, 2021 — AMCP signed onto an amicus brief in support of the OSHA Rule on COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. AMCP joins a diverse group of scholars and professional organizations of public health and health care practitioners who share a deep commitment to the health of American workers and workplace protection.

OSHA's emergency order would require 84 million American workers employed by large companies to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or wear a mask at work and get tested regularly as of Jan. 4, 2022.

A ruling to strike down the vaccine mandate would ignore the particularly severe danger and special risks that COVID-19 poses in the workplace. There is overwhelming scientific consensus that vaccines are the most effective tools for reducing COVID-19 transmission and infection in workplaces and OSHA properly determined that its vaccinate-or-test standard is essential to protect workers.

"AMCP’s mission is to help patients get the medications they need at a cost they can afford. The value proposition offered by vaccines and other disease prevention measures is undeniable; therefore, we support appropriate vaccination. That’s one of the many reasons we felt it was important to sign on to this amicus brief and previous statements in support of vaccine mandates,” said AMCP CEO, Susan Cantrell, MHL, RPh, CAE.

Health care professionals have a duty to encourage patients and the public at large to make critical, lifesaving decisions. Vaccines ensure the safety of patients, long-term care residents, unvaccinated children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals, all of whom face a growing risk of infection as the new variants are being discovered. Mandates put this duty into effect, providing us with ethical, legal, and effective policies with which to address the COVID-19 crisis and protect our communities.

About AMCP
AMCP is the professional association leading the way to help patients get the medications they need at a cost they can afford. AMCP’s diverse membership of pharmacists, physicians, nurses, biopharmaceutical professionals, and other stakeholders leverage their specialized expertise in clinical evidence and economics to optimize medication benefit design and population health
 management and help patients access cost-effective and safe medications and other drug therapies. AMCP members improve the lives of nearly 300 million Americans served by private and public health plans, pharmacy benefit management firms, and emerging care models. Visit www.amcp.org.