AMCP Members Urge Congress, Administration to Include Comprehensive Pharmacy Benefit in Reform Plan

Washington, D.C., March 8, 2017 — Managed care pharmacy professionals have the expertise necessary to help lawmakers develop policies for an effective pharmaceutical benefit under any new health care reform bill that may emerge in the weeks and months ahead. That was the key message delivered over the past two days by the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) at its Annual Legislative Days. 

AMCP volunteer leaders and staff visited more than 53 House and Senate offices during the March 7-8 event. The visits come as Congress and the Administration start the complex process of reforming the health care system for the second time in a decade. 

“The Academy’s roughly 8,000 members — including pharmacists, nurses and other health care professionals— already manage medication benefits for more than 270 million Americans,” noted AMCP CEO Susan A. Cantrell, RPh, CAE. “We encourage lawmakers to tap this excellent resource as they consider changes to health care benefits that would affect the delivery of medications and other therapies. Our profession’s many evidenced-based practices should be a part any future care delivery model, as we have a proven track record of improving patient outcomes while ensuring the wise use of health care dollars.”

During the Legislative Days event, AMCP members and staff also urged Congress to support: 

• Comprehensive prescription drug benefits designed by pharmacists and other health care professionals with the experience necessary for population medication management;
• Prescription drug benefits that are not subject to restrictive federal and state coverage and benefit mandates, restrictions that often increase costs for both patients and payers and reduce accessibility of prescription benefits;
• A health care delivery system focused on using value-based models that improve outcomes and promote the wise use of health care dollars; and
• Appropriate funding of federal agencies and programs to develop evidence on the effectiveness of medications and other treatments, evidence that allows health care providers and patients to choose appropriate therapy while promoting prudent management of financial resources. 

To read AMCP’s positions on these and other issues, such as comparative effectiveness research and patient-centered outcomes research, the competitive marketplace, government-mandated pharmacy benefits, population medication management services on value of patient treatment and health outcomes, value frameworks, and prescription drug coverage, visit our Policy & Advocacy Focus Areas on our web site.