What is provider status?
For decades, pharmacists have been one of the few health care professionals that lack recognition as health care providers in federal law. Nearly all other health care professional services are rightfully covered under Medicare laws, including services provided by chiropractors, midwives, and dieticians, but not services provided by pharmacists.
APhA and its members are calling on Congress to pass a bill that would amend section 1861(s)(2) of the Social Security Act to enable Medicare beneficiaries to access pharmacist-provided services under Medicare Part B. These services would be reimbursable under Medicare Part B if provided to patients in medically underserved communities and if the services are consistent with state scope of practice laws.
State Fact Sheets
Click on your state in the map above to gain access to a fact sheet that will help you make the case for pharmacists’ patient care services. The fact sheets align proven results from studies on pharmacists’ services with state-specific data to help demonstrate the impact pharmacists can have in your state. These sheets were created through a collaboration between APhA and NASPA, with support from the Community Pharmacy Foundation. A full list of references can be accessed here.
Pharmacists Provide Care Champions
The Pharmacists Provide Care Champions Recognition Program is designed to recognize our most active and engaged campaign supporters. Every month, we select one pharmacist and one student pharmacist who have demonstrated a significant commitment to the Pharmacists Provide Care campaign and achieving provider status for pharmacists and recognize them as a Pharmacists Provide Care Champion.
Read about our champions here.
Share Your Story
We are collecting and highlighting patient care stories that demonstrate the value of pharmacists' services. These stories help us to inform policy makers and other stakeholders about the value pharmacists bring (or could bring) to patients and the health care system every day. Share your story today!
Video Gallery
Learn more about the Pharmacists Provide Care campaign. Use the map above to visit state pages and hear from pharmacists and student pharmacists in those states about what provider status means to them and what they are doing to achieve it.