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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Deberah Kula |
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Kula pharmacist's bill focus of House hearing
HARRISBURG, April 29 – The House Professional Licensure Committee today held a public hearing about state Rep. Deberah Kula's legislation to expand the role of pharmacists in the state’s health-care system.
Kula's bill (H.B. 1041) would allow pharmacists to practice drug therapy management beyond what is permitted under current law. Kula said this would allow more patients to benefit from the quality services pharmacists are trained to provide, ultimately improving access to health care while cutting costs.
"We have qualified pharmacists who are prepared, capable, experienced and, most importantly, willing to help address a significant part of our health-care crisis," said Kula, D-Fayette/Westmoreland. "These pharmacists are well-positioned not only to accept the additional responsibility of collaborating in patient care, but also to make a real difference in improving the overall outcomes of our health-care system."
Kula's proposal would permit pharmacists to enter into a collaborative agreement with a physician to perform drug therapy management outside of an institutional setting, if the pharmacist meets certain requirements. Some of these requirements include providing evidence of training in the diseases they are managing through drug therapy, compliance with registration requirements and providing proof of professional liability insurance covering $1 million per occurrence.
Those testifying at today's hearing include Basil Merenda, commissioner, Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs; Thomas M. Snedden, director, Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly; Greg Shaeffer, president, Pennsylvania Pharmacist Association; Rick Mohall, director, Field Clinical Services, Rite Aid Corporation; Melanie Horvath, executive director, Pennsylvania Pharmacy Council; and Robert Weber, chief pharmacy officer, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Programs administered by the U.S. Public Health Service, the nation’s armed forces and the Veterans Health Administration, as well as 38 states across the country, now include expanding the participation of pharmacists as a key element of their health-care system.
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